mmi 


imim 


^W  OF  PRlNCf^ 
JUN    12  1998 


BV  3265  .W8  1919 

Wood,  M.  D. 

Fruit  from  the  jungle 


11^7 


FRUIT  FROM  THE 
JUNGLE 


FRUIT  FROM   THE 
JUNGLE 

by 

M.  D.AVOOD 


"And  othere  fell  into  the  good  ground,  and  yielded  fruit, 
growing  up   and  increasing  ;  and  brought  forth,   thirty- 
fold,  and  sixtyfold,  and  a  hundredfold."     Mark  4  : 8. 
"He   that   reapeth   receiveth   wages,    and  gathereth   fruit 
unto  life  eternal."     John  4  :  36. 
"My  fruit  is  better  than  gold,  yea,  than  fine  gold." 
Proverbs  8:19. 


^nw  of  ?mcif^ 


JUN    12  1998 


^WGICAL 


PACIFIC  PRESS  PUBLISHING  ASSN. 

MOUNTAIN  VIEW.  CALIFORNIA 


Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada 
Kansas  City,  Missouri 


St.  Paul,  Minn.      Cristobal,  Canal  Zone 
Portland,  Oregon         Brookfield,  Illinois 


Copyright,   1919,  by 

Pacific  Press  Publishing  Association 

Mountain  View,  California 


FOREWORD 

TO  those  who  may  read  this  little  volume,  I  wish 
to  say  that  at  first  I  had  no  intention  of  writing  a 
book.  Had  I  so  planned,  I  should  have  formed  a 
consecutive  narrative,  one  chapter  the  unfolding  of 
another,  thus  making  a  well  rounded  whole. 

Most  of  the  chapters  herein  given  are  experiences 
from  real  mission  life,  and  were  intended  for  papers 
to  be  read  by  our  young  people  in  America;  a  few 
are  the  outlines  of  addresses  given  while  on  furlough. 
Some  of  them  have  appeared  in  missionary  publica- 
tions in  the  United  States. 

As  this  matter  accumulated,  friends  suggested  the 
idea  of  printing  the  whole  collection  in  book  form. 
This  I  finally  decided  to  do,  hoping  thus  to  bring  these 
experiences  before  a  larger  number  of  young  people, 
who  might  thereby  obtain  a  clearer  understanding  of 
mission  life  among  the  heathen,  and  whose  interest 
in  this  great  work  might  thereby  be  increased. 

I  have  always  felt  that  real  mission  life  among  the 
heathen  is  not  so  fully  depicted  to  our  youth  in 
America  as  it  should  be;  hence  my  plainness  of  speech 
in  several  instances.  The  refined  conditions  of  society 
in  the  United  States  of  America  make  it  exceedingly 
difficult  to  explain  properly  real  conditions  in  this 
field;  but  it  is  hoped  that  this  little  book  will  help 
to  an  understanding  of  the  great  need,  and  awaken 
among  our  young  people  a  sympathy  and  soul  burden 
for  the  depressed  and  lower  classes  in  heathen  lands. 

M.  D.  Wood. 

Kalyan,  G.  I.  P.,  India. 


(5) 


INTRODUCTION 

I  AM  requested  to  introduce  myself  to  those  who 
may  read  this  little  book ;  indeed,  a  list  of  questions 
to  be  answered  has  been  placed  before  me. 

My  paternal  and  maternal  grandparents  were  na- 
tives of  old  England,  which  they  left  to  find  a  home 
in  New  England,  where  both  my  father  and  my 
mother  were  brought  up.  In  their  youth,  my  parents 
listened  to  the  preaching  of  William  Miller  and  other 
Adventists.  In  fact,  they  both  professed  conversion 
among  the  Adventists,  and  were  baptized  by  them. 
Later  they  were  married  by  Elder  Clark,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, who  was  pastor  of  an  Adventist  church  till 
his  death,  and  who  conducted  my  father's  funeral 
service  from  his  meeting  house. 

Six  sons  and  one  daughter  were  born  in  our  family, 
I  being  the  third  youngest  child.  About  the  time  of 
my  father's  decease,  the  four  elder  sons  were  able  to 
earn  their  own  living,  and  to  assist  my  mother,  who 
had  the  care  of  the  three  smaller  children.  For  a 
short  time,  an  aged  uncle,  who  had  no  children  of  his 
own,  gave  me  a  home,  and  sent  me  to  the  village 
school.  While  there,  I  attended  an  Adventist  Sun- 
day school,   and  also  some  of  their  camp  meetings. 

Thus  my  first  impressions  of  religion  were  molded 
by  these  sober  and  devout  yet  hopeful  people.  At 
a  very  early  age,  I  fully  believed  that  Jesus  was  soon 
to  return  to  this  earth. 

My  next  home,  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  was  with 
a  godly  family  of  first-day  Adventists,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  F.  Guild,  of  North  Attleboro,  Massachusetts.  This 
dear  couple,  who  had  no  children,  became  my  foster 
parents.  They  were  known  as  Millerites,  and  our 
home  was  the  stopping  place  of  the  Adventist  minis- 

(6) 


Introduction  7 

ters  who  itinerated  in  New  England.  Originally,  Mr. 
Guild  was  a  Baptist;  and  he,  with  about  forty  others 
who  accepted  the  teaching  of  Mr.  Miller,  was  expelled 
from  that  church.  Many  times  I  have  heard  the 
Burnham  brothers,  as  well  as  Dr.  Litch,  of  Boston, 
and  other  Adventist  preachers;  and  as  they  gathered 
around  our  table,  I  have  listened  to  their  serious  con- 
versation about  sacred  matters.  In  fact,  I  may  truth- 
fully say  that  I  was  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  Adventism. 

Until  I  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  the  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guild  was  mine;  and  I  never  knew,  so 
far  as  love  and  kindness  were  concerned,  any  dif- 
ference between  them  and  my  own  parents.  I  grew 
to  love  and  respect  them  as  tenderly  as  a  child  could; 
and  to  me,  their  memory  will  always  be  sacred.  They 
both  sleep  in  Jesus,  to  come  forth,  I  fully  believe, 
when  He  shall  wake  His  sleeping  saints.  At  Mr. 
Guild's  death,  he  left  several  thousand  dollars  to  be 
used  in  mission  work. 

Until  I  was  well  along  in  my  teens,  I  attended  the 
public  schools;  but  when  I  was  eighteen  years  old, 
Mr.  Guild  sent  me  to  Mr.  Moody's  school  for  boys  at 
Mount  Hermon,  Massachusetts.  I  had  been  there  but 
six  weeks  when,  through  the  personal  efforts  of  my 
Sunday  school  teacher,  Miss  Jessie  Ironside,  I  gave 
my  heart  to  Christ,  and  realized  a  great  spiritual 
change  in  my  life.  All  desire  for  worldly  pleasures 
and  rewards  was  taken  away,  and  I  threw  myself 
whole-heartedly  into  Christian  service. 

There  was  no  Adventist  church  near  Mount  Hermon, 
so  I  attended  the  Methodist  church,  which  afforded 
me  an  opportunity  to  teach  a  class  in  Sunday  school, 
and  to  assist  in  other  religious  meetings.  From  the 
time  of  my  conversion,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  lead 
my  unconverted  young  friends  into  the  way  of  re- 
pentance and  faith,  and  to  see  them  take  the  same 


8  Introduction 

definite  step  I  had  taken.  To  this  end  I  prayed  and 
worked  day  and  night.  The  greatest  joy  I  ever  felt 
was  when  some  of  them  accepted  Christ  as  their 
Saviour. 

Just  about  that  time,  the  Student  Volunteer  Move- 
ment was  organized  at  Mr.  Moody's  school,  and  I 
became  completely  absorbed  in  the  subject  of  foreign 
missions.  My  heart  was  stirred  to  its  depths  as 
I  listened  to  appeals  for  consecrated  men.  At  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Moody  personally  led  large 
meetings  for  boys  and  young  men  who  felt  their 
need  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Although 
I  attended  these  meetings,  I  did  not  gain  that  for 
which  I  sought;  but  later,  at  a  Methodist  camp  meet- 
ing, faith  was  rewarded,  and  my  heart. was  filled  and 
satisfied  with  His  sacred  presence. 

Then  I  became  more  settled,  and  felt  impelled  to 
prepare  for  a  life  of  service.  About  this  time,  I  be- 
came a  member  of  a  Methodist  church  in  New  York 
City,  a  step  which  caused  my  dear  old  foster  father 
some  pain,  for  he  had  hoped  I  would  become  an 
Adventist  preacher.  While  attending  school  in  that 
great  city,  I  found  splendid  opportunities  to  work  in 
the  large  missions,  and  for  some  time  conducted  a 
Sunday  school  for  the  Chinese. 

While  listening  to  the  address  of  a  missionary  from 
India,  I  had  a  clear  and  convincing  call  to  that  field. 
Jesus  said,  "My  sheep  hear  My  voice,  .  .  .  and  they 
follow  Me."  The  voice  of  the  Shepherd  is  sufficient 
for  one  of  His  fold. 

At  that  time,  I  was  very  timid,  and  hesitated 
to  tell  my  friends  of  my  future  plans;  nevertheless 
I  ever  kept  the  one  object  in  view,  and  bent  every- 
thing to  that  end.  When  I  told  one  friend,  she 
thought  me  mad;  and  when  I  told  my  mother,  she 


Introduction  9 

wept  for  grief.  The  path  of  duty  is  not  always  bright, 
neither  do  our  dearest  Christian  friends  always  see 
eye  to  eye  with  us. 

In  the  fall  of  1892,  after  seven  years  of  study  and 
preparation  for  mission  work  in  India,  I  sailed  for 
my  future  home  and  field  of  labor,  in  company  with 
some  other  young  people  who  had  been  my  school 
companions.  Now  the  door  of  opportunity  had  swung 
open,  and  I  was  indeed  glad.  We  sailed  by  way  of 
Europe,  and  landed  in  Bombay  after  a  rough  voyage 
and  many  new  and  interesting  experiences. 

As  I  saw  the  huge  blocks  of  rudely  carved  stone, 
bedaubed  with  vermilion  and  garlanded  with  flowers, 
and  the  nearly  nude  priests,  covered  with  ashes  from 
burned  cow  dung,  bowing  on  knees  and  faces  before 
those  heathen  gods,  my  heart  was  stirred.  I  had 
read  books  on  India,  seen  pictures  of  Indian  life, 
heard  missionaries  lecture  about  Hindustan;  but  the 
awful  reality  of  idol  worship  had  never  fully  gripped 
me  till  I  stood  dazed,  under  that  burning  Indian  sun, 
in  the  streets  of  Bombay.  To  see  a  human  being, 
made  in  the  likeness  of  his  Creator,  prostrating  him- 
self at  the  feet  of  a  dirty,  repulsive  image  of  stone, 
knowing  naught  of  the  true  God,  moves  a  person's 
sympathies  till  he  is  filled  with  zeal  to  tear  the  scales 
from  their  poor,  blinded  eyes. 

For  three  years,  my  chief  occupation  was  language 
study.  Two  years  after  my  arrival,  I  was  married 
to  Miss  Effie  Holmes,  from  my  own  state,  Massachu- 
setts. She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
had  sailed  for  India  one  month  before  me,  and  had 
taken  up  the  same  language  I  was  studying.  Her 
period  of  service  was  brief.  For  one  year,  she  bat- 
tled with  Indian  fever;  and  she  died  at  the  end  of 
her  third  year  in  the  field.  She  sleeps  in  a  quiet 
English  graveyard  in  the  Central  Provinces. 


10  Introduction 

Two  years  later,  I  was  again  married,  this  time 
to  Miss  Anna  Mattock,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  from 
Pennsylvania.  She  too  was  converted  at  about  eight- 
een years  of  age,  and  in  a  missionary  meeting  had 
received  her  call  to  India. 

The  incidents  recorded  in  these  pages  now  find 
their  place  in  my  life's  history. 

My  wife  has  always  conducted  medical  work  in 
each  place  where  we  have  been  stationed,  every  year 
treating  thousands  of  sick  and  afflicted  natives.  The 
special  blessing  of  God  has  accompanied  her  labors. 
Although  the  mother  of  four  children,  all  born  in 
India,  she  has  never  permitted  her  maternal  cares,  or 
anything  else,  to  stand  in  the  way  of  her  doing  the 
work  which  she  believes  God  has  called  her  to  do. 

In  the  fall  of  1909,  with  the  object  of  giving  our 
children  better  opportunities  to  gain  an  education,  we 
sailed  for  the  United  States;  and  immediately  on  my 
arrival,  I  took  up  the  pastorate  of  two  Methodist 
Episcopal  churches  in  Minnesota.  The  Lord  blessed 
our  labors,  and  souls  were  added  to  the  church. 

For  several  years,  I  had  been  convinced  that  the 
churches  as  a  whole  were  not  following  the  Bible  as 
closely  as  they  should.  Man-made  creeds  have  taken 
the  place  of  God's  word,  and  I  yearned  to  know  that 
what  I  taught  and  practiced  in  church  life  was  in 
conformity  to  the  revealed  oracles  of  God.  When  I 
followed  the  rules  of  the  church,  I  was  certain  that 
in  some  instances  I  was  not  fully  on  Scriptural 
grounds. 

Then  the  constant  clamor  from  church  members  to 
make  me  a  lodge  member  drove  me  farther  from 
them.  I  had  no  affinity  for,  and  no  desire  to  be  a 
member  of,  anything  but  Christ's  own  body,  the 
church.  Thus  the  false  position  of  the  church,  and 
the  worldliness  of  the  same,  led  us  to  withdraw  from 


Introduction 


11 


conference,  pastorate,  and  membership.  It  was  a  sad 
and  painful  step;  but,  convinced  that  we  were  in  the 
right  path,  we  believed  that  the  hand  of  God  would 
lead  us  in  the  future.  There  were  a  few  days  of  test- 
ing, when  we  wondered  just  what  to  do;  but  all  was 
left  in  the  hands  of  our  heavenly  Guide.  Very  soon 
a  call  came  to  take  up  church  work  in  North  Dakota. 
We  did  so,  and  spent  some  months  in  that  state. 
While  we  were  there,  young  people  gave  their  hearts 
to  Christ,  and  we  had  many  proofs  that  God  was 
with  us. 

One  day  a  young  canvasser,  C.  J.  White,  came  to 
our  meetings.  He  impressed  me  as  very  sincere,  and 
free  from  that  spirit  of  worldliness  which  possesses 
so  many  of  the  young  professed  disciples  of  Christ  in 
the  churches.  Later  Mr.  White  called  at  my  home, 
and  I  learned  that  he  was  a  Sabbath  keeper.     I  was 


The  Wood  Family  When  They  Accepted  the 
"Present  Truth" 


12  Introduction 

not  only  surprised,  but  stunned.  I  had  never  heard 
a  good  word  said  in  favor  of  Sabbath  keepers,  al- 
though personally  I  had  never  known  one  before.  To 
me,  it  was  a  novel  thing  to  meet  one  who  kept  the 
seventh  day,  and  who  was  not  a  Jew. 

After  a  while,  Mr.  White  fell  ill;  and  as  canvassers 
have  no  certain  dwelling  place,  I  shared  mine  with 
him,  and  tried  to  nurse  him  back  to  health,  little 
realizing  that  God,  who  "moves  in  a  mysterious  way, 
His  wonders  to  perform,"  had  sent  that  young  man 
to  me  as  His  messenger.  One  day  I  said,  "Mr.  White, 
I  wish  you  would  tell  me  why  you  keep  the  Jewish 
Sabbath." 

Thereupon  he  did  tell  me  why;  but  I  was  no  nearer 
keeping  it  than  I  was  before.  In  fact,  I  was  filled 
with  bitter  prejudice.  After  a  short  space  of  silence, 
I  agreed  to  study  the  Bible  with  him  on  the  subject. 
Soon  light  began  to  dawn,  and  I  saw  the  path,  marked 
out  for  all  time,  for  God's  people  to  walk  in.  I  sin- 
cerely repented  that  I  had  always  broken  the  fourth 
commandment,  and  pledged  to  keep  God's  holy  law 
in  the  future. 

Soon  other  hidden  truths  began  to  appear  as  a  re- 
sult of  Bible  study.  I  saw  that  man  is  not  yet  im- 
mortal; that  all  who  sleep  in  Jesus,  as  well  as  all  the 
wicked  dead,  are  unconscious  in  their  graves,  await- 
ing the  trumpet  call  of  God.  Prophecy,  which  had 
always  seemed  like  a  very  stale  and  musty  subject, 
now  took  on  new  freshness  and  luster;  and  books 
that  had  been  sealed  from  my  vision  glowed  with  sim- 
plicity and  interest.  The  investigative  judgment  and 
the  end  of  the  wicked  were  as  clear  as  a  bell,  as  I 
read  with  new  interest  and  meaning  words  I  had 
never  understood  before.  I  had  promised  to  keep 
God's  law;  and  that  very  fact  seemed  to  put  me  into 
such  relationship  to  truth  that  the  Holy  Spirit  took 


Introduction  13 

the  things  of  God,  and  revealed  them  to  me.  Jesus 
Himself  was  not  merely  the  Son  of  God,  but  God 
Himself,  and  the  author  and  creator  of  all  things.  In 
reality,  I  had  a  new  Bible. 

This  was  a  second  conversion,  and  it  made  all  things 
new.  I  cannot,  in  few  words,  tell  the  marvelous 
changes  that  took  place  in  my  vision  of  the  Christian 
faith  during  that  period ;  it  is  enough  to  say  that  in  a 
few  months,  I  emerged  from  the  dried-up  chrysalis 
of  human  creeds  and  church  rules,  and  was  inhaling 
the  atmosphere  of  another  world. 

Let  no  one  think  I  am  exaggerating.  This  to  me 
was  a  very  fact.  I  was  heartily  tired  of  theology, 
and  welcomed  the  bread  of  truth.  For  months,  I 
ate  it  as  a  hungry  soul,  and  wondered  why  I  had  been 
so  impoverished. 

The  next  step  was  to  place  our  children  in  one  of 
our  best  schools.  When  this  was  done,  my  wife  and 
I  were  free  for  a  year  of  special  Bible  study  and  re- 
search at  the  Foreign  Missionary  College,  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  Here  we  heard  the  word  of  God  un- 
folded by  men  who  had  made  its  study  the  one  great 
object  of  their  lives.  Those  golden  days  of  special 
privilege  will  never  be  forgotten. 

In  the  fall  of  1912,  the  General  Conference  brethren 
thought  it  good  to  send  us  back  to  India,  and  to  this 
we  gladly  agreed.  Bidding  the  two  older  children  a 
sad  farewell,  and  leaving  them  in  school,  we  again 
sailed  for  India,  this  time  by  way  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  At  all  the  halting  places  on  the  way,  we  found 
churches  of  Seventh-day  Adventists,  who  welcomed 
us,  and  some  of  whom  would  gladly  have  detained  us 
in  their  fields. 

After  a  fifty  days'  voyage,  we  landed  in  Calcutta, 
and  soon  took  up  the  threads  of  our  work  at  Kalyan, 
Bombay  Presidency.     The  last  five  years  have  been 


14  Introduction 

spent  in  building  up  the  Marathi  Seventh-day  Ad- 
ventist  church,  also  the  medical,  school,  and  litera- 
ture work. 

It  is  now  fifty  years  since  I  first  saw  the  light  of 
day,  twenty-five  since  I  first  put  my  feet  on  India's 
soil,  and  seven  since  I  first  heard  the  message  of  God's 
remnant  church.  Never  for  one  moment  have  we 
regretted  taking  the  step  that  cast  our  lot  with  this 
people;  we  only  regret  that  the  message  found  us 
so  late.  Our  children  are  being  educated  in  this 
truth;  and  several  of  our  former  friends  have  taken 
a  stand  for  it,  and  joined  God's  commandment-keep- 
ing people.  Not  only  so,  but  our  spiritual  children 
in  India  are  now  accepting  the  truth,  and  assist- 
ing us  in  telling  it  to  their  own  people.  Our  hope 
is  that  we  may  toil  on  until  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
returns  to  reward  His  people  with  immortality. 

M.  D.  Wood. 

Kalyan,  G.  I.  P.,  India, 
January  1,  1918. 


CONTENTS 

Foreword 5 

Introduction 6 

I  Life  at  Kalivali 17 

II  Idol  Worship 29 

III  Saved  After  Ten  Years 47 

IV  Kasho  — The  Dreamer 81 

V  Anand  Rao 90 

VI  The  Epistle  of  John 97 

VII  Snakes  in  India Ill 

VIII  Casting  Out  Devils 127 

IX  The  Plague 141 

X  Rama  the  Scavenger 155 

XI  Bloody  Offerings 167 

XII  Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit 179 

XIII  Was  It  Worth  While? 193 

XIV  "One  Sows,  Another  Reaps" 205 

XV  Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake 215 

XVI  A   Free   Camel   Ride 235 

XVII  Work  at  Kopergaon 255 

XVIII  The  Famine 273 

XIX  Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum 288 

XX  Answered  Prayer 297 

XXI  What  It  Means  to  Give  India  the  Gospel    .  311 

XXII  Healing  in  the  Jungle 327 

(15) 
2 


Saying  "Salaam"  to  Each  Other 


(16) 


CHAPTER     I 


Life  at  Kalivali 

HEN  I  had  been  in  India  a  few 
months,  I  decided  to  leave  the  com- 
fortable mission  house  and  the  society 
of  English-speaking  friends,  and  try- 
life  among  the  heathen  in  a  native 
village.  It  was  my  plan  to  learn  to  speak 
the  language  "like  a  native";  and  I  felt  that 
in  order  to  do  this,  for  a  time  I  must  hear 
nothing  else.  The  superintendent  soon  found 
a  building  that  had  been  used  as  a  travelers' 
rest  house,  or  chowdie,  for  natives  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Kalivali.  Every  Indian  village  has 
such  a  house  for  natives  to  stop  in  overnight. 
Two  of  us  young  missionaries,  bent  on  the 
same  object,  decided  to  use  this  house,  and 
prepared  to  move  in. 

Kalivali  is  ten  miles  from  the  nearest  rail- 
way station.  We  were  driven  over  the  coun- 
try in  native  bullock  carts  till  we  came  to  a 
large  stream.  The  cart  men  took  our  goods 
over,  and  we  were  carried  across  on  the  backs 
of  big,  strong  natives,  who  asked  only  a  few 
pice  for  their  labor. 

(17) 


18  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

We  had  not  seen  the  house  we  were  to  oc- 
cupy, till  we  drove  up  in  front  of  it.  To 
say  the  least,  we  were  surprised  to  see  this 
native  "mansion,"  which  consisted  of  one  big 
room,  about  twenty  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet 
wide.  The  house  was  made  of  dried  mud, 
with  a  floor  of  the  same  material.  When  we 
walked  over  the  floor,  our  shoes  broke  up  the 
dry  crust  that  was  its  surface,  and  it  soon 
looked  like  an  ash  heap. 

The  way  in  which  the  natives  keep  down 
the  dust  is  to  smear  the  floor  over  with  a 
slime  made  of  water  and  fresh  cow  manure. 
This  mixture  is  prepared  in  a  pan,  and  spread 
on  evenly  by  hand.  If  applied  once  or  twice 
a  week,  it  furnishes  a  fresh,  thin,  green  car- 
pet of  cow  dung,  that  is  effective  for  the 
purpose,  but  the  odor  is  sickening.  The  na- 
tives always  go  barefooted  indoors,  so  they 
do  not  break  up  their  floors.  I  suppose  the 
use  of  so  much  water  on  the  floor  made  the 
house  more  unhealthful  than  usual.  A  tent, 
which  we  could  have  placed  under  a  large 
shade  tree,  would  have  been  cleaner  and  far 
safer. 

We  had  scarcely  reached  our  new  quarters 
when  a  crowd  of  curious  natives  flocked 
around  to  look  us  over.     We  said  "Salaam," 


Life  at  Kalivali  19 

and  they  soon  departed.  The  house  had  but 
three  walls,  with  a  row  of  posts  in  front; 
so  we  had  no  privacy  whatever.  At  first, 
we  sat  and  pondered  the  situation,  and 
planned  what  to  do  to  make  ourselves  com- 
fortable. As  soon  as  one  learns  how  to  get 
on  with  little  or  nothing,  it  is  easy  enough; 
but  the  learning  takes  time. 

Finally  we  concluded  to  tack  up  sheets  at 
one  end  of  the  room,  and  place  our  cot  beds 
there  for  privacy.  But  this  was  not  a  sure 
protection;  for  if  a  native  wanted  to  see  us, 
he  did  not  stop  to  knock, —  that  being  a 
European  custom, —  but  deliberately  pulled 
aside  the  curtain  and  walked  in. 

We  had  employed  a  native  Christian  cook 
named  Bapu, —  an  honest  fellow,  but  un- 
trained, and  so  filthy  that  we  lost  our  appe- 
tites when  he  brought  our  food  to  the  table. 
He  had  no  house  to  sleep  in,  so  made  our 
front  steps  his  place  of  abode  for  some  time. 
We  were  glad  to  have  him  there  as  our  in- 
terpreter. He  cooked  our  food  on  one  end 
of  the  front  steps;  and  when  the  wind  blew 
in  our  direction,  the  smoke  came  also,  and 
frequently  brought  with  it  strong  whiffs  of 
garlic  and  frying  onions. 


20  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Sometimes  we  kept  a  little  food  or  milk 
overnight;  and  as  we  had  no  doors,  the 
village  dogs  and  cats  entertained  us  from 
smiset  till  dawn.  Finally  w^e  secured  some 
bamboo  matting  and  nailed  it  across  the 
opening  in  front,  piling  up  our  table  and 
chairs  for  a  door  at  night.  We  were  fre- 
quently aroused  hy  the  dogs  pushing  over 
the  pile  of  furniture,  which  would  come  down 
with  a  crash.  Then  we  would  lie  in  bed  and 
hear  the  dogs  scratching  on  the  matting,  and 
sniffing  at  the  food  in  our  screen-covered 
box. 

Our  front  yard  was  also  a  gathering  place 
for  donkeys ;  and  when  several  of  them  brayed 
half  the  night,  we  had  a  restless  time  of  it. 
The  rotten  ceiling  rafters  made  a  good  hid- 
ing place  for  sparrows,  which  lived  on  the 
crumbs  that  fell  to  the  floor;  and  at  times, 
our  house  was  like  a  large  bird  cage. 

Gradually  we  became  accustomed  to  these 
somewhat  unpleasant  surroundings,  and  slept 
on  untroubled  by  minor  disturbances,  with 
one  exception  —  bedbugs.  Natives  had  used 
the  house  for  years,  and  the  posts  and  the 
rafters  were  alive  with  these  pests.  All  our 
goods  were  covered,  and  there  was  no  way 
of  getting  rid  of  them. 


Ldfe  at  Kalivali  21 

We  engaged  a  hunhi  (farmer  boy)  to  in- 
struct us  in  the  language,  and  made  its  study 
our  main  business.  Once  a  week  we  had 
"market  day"  in  Kalivali,  when  a  few  vil- 
lagers would  gather,  and  spread  out  their 
wares  under  the  scorching  sun.  How  they 
stared  at  us  two  white  men  when  we  went 
among  them!  Much  of  their  stuff  was  sold 
in  the  lump  rather  than  by  weight.  At 
first,  this  was  a  problem  to  us,  for  we  had 
never  bought  that  way  before,  and  we  scarcely 
knew  how  much  we  should  receive  for  our 
money.  We  knew  only  a  little  of  the  lan- 
guage, but  found  the  market  a  good  place 
for  practice. 

We  kept  a  small  native  pony,  which  took 
us  from  village  to  village,  and  became  a  real 
companion.  The  turtledoves  had  their  nests 
in  the  babul  (gum  arable)  trees,  and  their 
plaintive  cooing  added  to  our  feeling  of  iso- 
lation and  loneliness.  I  have  never  enjoyed 
their  mournful  cry  since  then. 

But  those  were  profitable  days.  We 
studied  books,  customs,  and  people,  and  soon 
found  ourselves  quite  advanced  in  native 
ways  and  ideas.  Never  shall  I  forget  those 
experiences;  and  although  they  were  hard 
at  the  time,  I  shall  always  be  grateful  for 


22  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

them.  We  learned  much  of  value  that  we 
might  not  have  gained  under  more  favor- 
able conditions.  God  greatly  helped  and 
blessed  us  there. 

FACE  TO  FACE  WITH  A  WOLF 

Wild  plums,  or  bora,  grew  on  the  river 
banks  near  Kalivali;  and  one  evening,  we 
went  to  gather  some  of  them.  The  sun  had 
set,  and  the  evening  was  cool  and  pleasant. 
As  we  were  filling  our  baskets  with  the  lus- 
cious yellow  fruit,  we  looked  up,  and  to  our 
astonishment,  saw,  directly  in  front  of  us, 
and  not  more  than  ten  feet  away,  a  large 
wolf.  For  a  second,  we  were  dazed.  It  was 
necessary  to  act  quickly;  and  as  we  had  no 
weapon  with  which  to  defend  ourselves,  we 
decided  to  give  one  yell,  and  leap  suddenly 
at  him.  This  we  did,  and  as  suddenly  he 
was  gone,  and  we  saw  him  no  more.  We 
were  thankful  he  did  not  attack  us;  for  we 
were  in  close  quarters,  and  he  might  have 
done  us  much  harm. 

OUR  FIRST   PUBLIC   WORK 

It  was  in  Kalivali  that  we  began  our  first 
public  services  in  India.  Though  we  could 
say  very  little  in  that  strange  language,  God 
was  with  us,  and  wonderfully  helped  us.    We 


Life  at  Kalivali  23 

would  take  our  stand  before  a  huge  village 
idol,  and  say: 

"This  is  stone;  no  God  here.  God  above, 
not  on  earth.  God  above  in  heaven.  We 
on  earth.  Devil  is  bad.  Sin  is  bad.  You 
stop  sin.  You  believe  in  God,  and  Jesus 
His  Son.  Jesus  died  for  you  and  me.  Jesus 
saves  me.     Come  to  Jesus." 

Then  we  would  sing  several  songs,  which 
the  natives  always  appreciated.  It  is  so  much 
easier  to  read  or  sing  than  to  talk!  Some- 
times our  cook  would  help  in  these  simple 
efforts,  telling  the  people  who  and  what  we 
were,  and  thus  advertising  our  religion.  It 
was  feeble  work  indeed;  yet  God  blessed  it, 
and  gave  us  many  tokens  of  His  favor.  The 
natives  never  made  sport  of  us  nor  gave  us 
trouble,  but  tried  to  help  us  talk  to  them, 
and  acted  as  if  they  knew  what  we  wanted 
to  say,  even  when  we  could  only  half  ex- 
press ourselves.  We  soon  learned  to  read 
very  well,  and  much  of  our  spare  time  was 
spent  in  reading  the  Bible  in  different  parts 
of  the  town. 

One  young  man  of  great  intelligence  used 
to  spend  many  of  his  evenings  with  us,  talk- 
ing of  Christ  and  reading  His  word.  His 
heart  was  hungry,  and  he  used  to  say,  "Some 


24  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

day  I  will  be  a  Christian  too."  I  think  that 
at  special  meetings  a  few  years  later  he  was 
converted. 

The  head  master  of  the  village  school  be- 
came quite  friendly,  and  called  often  to  see 
us,  frequently  bringing  a  little  gift  of  food 
from  his  home.  Sometimes  it  was  only  a 
bit  of  fruit,  such  as  a  lime;  but  it  expressed 
his  desire  to  be  friendly. 

CROSSING  A  RIVER  BY  ""cHARPIE"" 

While  at  Kalivali,  we  made  one  trip  to, 
the  mission  house,  ten  miles  distant.  A  heavy 
rain  fell  during  our  stay;  and  on  our  return, 
we  found  the  river  at  Kalivali  badly  swollen. 
Carts  could  not  cross,  and  men  and  bullocks 
were  swimming  over.  Our  cart  man  was 
paid  at  the  river  bank,  and  left  us.  There 
we  sat  for  some  time,  watching  the  natives 
and  the  cattle,  and  wondering  how  we  should 
get  across.  We  prayed  God  to  help  and 
deliver.  What  else  could  we  do  but  call 
upon  Him? 

Surely  He  heard  and  answered;  for  soon 
the  natives  of  Kalivali  brought  a  charpie 
(cot  bed),  and  a  big  bundle  of  dried  squashes 
tied  to  ropes.  Then  four  strong  men  bade 
us  be  seated  on  the  bed,  and  they  tied  the 


(25) 


26  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

dried  squashes  to  it.  We  obeyed  orders; 
and  each  man,  grasping  a  corner  post  of 
the  bed  with  one  hand,  swam  with  the  other 
till  we  had  crossed  the  deep  and  angry- 
stream,  and  landed  safely  on  the  other  side. 
The  squashes  buoyed  us  up,  and  the  men 
furnished  the  power  and  propelled  us  over. 
All  we  had  to  do  was  to  sit  perfectly  still, — 
not  so  easy,  under  the  circumstances. 

The  well  water  at  Kalivali  was  salty  and 
unfit  for  use,  so  we  had  to  drink  river  water. 
Of  course,  all  the  villagers  living  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  for  miles  up  and  down 
the  stream  not  only  drank  the  river  water, 
but  bathed  their  bodies  and  washed  their 
clothes  daily  in  it.  We  boiled  the  water, 
used  alum  to  settle  or  purify  it,  strained  it 
through  a  towel,  and  then  placed  it  in  a 
water  jar  in  the  breeze  to  cool.  It  was 
quite  unsatisfactory  after  all  was  done,  but 
we  were   thankful   to   have   even   that. 

We  never  knew  the  import  of  the  words, 
"Sorrow  not,  even  as  others  which  have  no 
hope,"  till  we  saw  a  funeral  at  Kalivali.  A 
man  living  near  us  died  in  the  Aight.  Early 
in  the  morning,  the  barber  shaved  the  heads 
and  faces  of  the  mourning  brothers  and  other 
male   members   of   the   family.      The   corpse 


Life  at  Kalivali  27 

was  laid  on  a  crude  bamboo  bier,  his  face 
was  painted  red,  and  then  the  mourners  were 
permitted  to  express  their  grief. 

The  women  pulled  their  hair  and  beat 
their  breasts,  shrieked,  rolled  on  the  ground, 
and  frothed  at  the  mouth.  About  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  the  men  took  up  the  body, 
and  bore  it  to  the  river,  where  they  immersed 
it,  and  then  they  carried  it  to  the  grave- 
yard. There  they  lighted  their  pipes  for  a 
smoke,  and  proceeded  to  dig  a  shallow  hole 
for  a  grave.  They  were  loud  and  rough. 
At  last,  two  men  jumped  into  the  grave, 
doubled  up  the  dead  man  under  their  feet, 
placed  huge  rocks  on  the  body,  and  then 
covered  it  with  earth.  These  poor  people 
know  of  no  resurrection  through  a  living 
Christ. 

After  a  while,  we  came  down  with  fever, 
as  a  result  of  the  dampness  and  unhealth- 
ful  surroundings  of  our  mud  house,  and 
the  unclean  river  water.  We  moved  out 
just  in  time  to  save  our  lives,  but  not  soon 
enough  to  avoid  an  illness  that  lasted  three 
months,  and  brought  us  close  to  death's 
door.  A  trip  of  two  weeks  to  a  cooler  cli- 
mate in  the  hills  built  us  up,  and  so  we 
pulled  through.     A  change  of  climate   will 


28  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

often  break  up  a  very  stubborn  attack  of 
India  fever.  How  good  God  was  to  us  dur- 
ing those  days  of  initiation! 

Much  earnest  work  has  since  been  done 
in*Kalivali,  and  some  have  believed  in  Christ. 
INIany  more  will  accept  if  properly  taught. 
May  God  bless  Kalivali. 


CHAPTER     II 


Idol  Worship 

T  is  very  easy  to  learn  what  Jehovah 
thinks  of  idols.  "I  am  the  Lord  thy 
God,"  He  declares.  "Thou  shalt  have 
no  other  gods  before  Me.  Thou  shalt 
not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image, 
or  any  likeness  of  anything  that  is  in  heaven 
above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or 
that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth:  thou 
shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them,  nor 
serve  them."  Through  the  psalmist,  He  says, 
"Confounded  be  all  they  that  serve  graven 
images,  that  boast  themselves  of  idols." 
Again:  "Their  idols  are  silver  and  gold,  the 
work  of  men's  hands.  .  .  .  They  that  make 
them  are  like  unto  them;  so  is  every  one 
that  trusteth  in  them." 

The  fate  of  idol  worshipers  is  also  clearly 
set  forth:  "The  fearful,  and  unbelieving, 
.  .  .  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire 
and  brimstone:  which  is  the  second  death." 
So  explicit  is  the  word  of  God  on  the 
subject  of  idol  worship,  that  it  is  the  book 

(29) 


30  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

of  value  above  all  others  to  scatter  among 
the  idol-worshiping  millions  of  India.  The 
Hindu  confesses  that  his  religion  approves 
of  thirty- three  million  gods;  hence  we  find 
gods  great  and  gods  small,  gods  short  and 
gods  tall,  gods  of  gold  and  gods  of  earth 
—  yes,  gods  by  the  millions  on  all  sides. 
One  of  the  first  things  that  catches  the  eye 
of  the  newcomer  in  India  is  the  image  of 
some  god.  Many  of  these  are  carved  in 
the  shapes  of  snakes,  bulls,  monkeys,  ele- 
phants, horses,  etc.  Others  are  more  re- 
pulsive, suggestive  of  evil,  and  often  dis- 
gusting in  the  extreme. 

THE   PRIESTS   OF   IDOLATRY 

Temples  are  everywhere  in  India,  hun- 
dreds and  even  thousands  of  idols  being 
placed  in  them  side  by  side.  Usually  these 
temples  are  surrounded  by  the  devotees,  or 
priests,  who  are  the  attendants  of  the  gods, 
and  act  an  important  part  in  keeping  up 
the  whole  abominable  system. 

These  men  would  not  meet  a  Westerner's 
ideal  of  priests,  at  least  in  appearance.  Most 
of  them  are  without  clothing,  save  for  a 
small  loin  cloth  of  salmon  color.  Many  of 
them  wear   a   great   coil   of  hair,   made   by 


A  Fakir  at  Delhi 


'A  Holy  Man' 


braiding  long  hair  cut  from  cows'  tails  into 
their  own.  They  think  to  add  to  their  merit 
in  this  way,  as  the  cow  is  regarded  as  sacred 
by  the  Hindus.  Some  who  pass  as  holy 
men  shave  part  of  the  head,  leaving  a  shandi 
—  a  lock  of  hair  something  like  a  Chinese 
cue  —  at  the  top. 

During  the  years  of  our  stay  in  Hin- 
dustan, we  have  seen  millions  of  these  fel- 
lows. Yet  it  is  difficult  to  describe  them 
accurately,  for  there  are  scarcely  two  of  them 
just  alike;  nevertheless  they  never  appear 
quite  like  the  rest  of  the  people,  and  are 
readily  distinguished  from  them.     You  can 

(31) 
3 


82  Fruit  fro7ii  the  Jungle 

tell  one  as  far  as  you  can  see  him,  by  his 
dress,  hair,  ornaments  or  lack  of  ornaments, 
by  what  he  carries,  his  speech,  etc.  Most 
of  them  are  low  and  ignorant,  though  of 
course  there  are  many  exceptions;  and  as  a 
class,  they  are  grave  and  serious  in  demeanor. 
They  have  no  fixed  place  of  abode,  but 
wander  here  and  there,  lounging  about  the 
temples,  and  begging  from  house  to  house. 
They  are  inveterate  smokers,  and  most  of 
them  indulge  freely  in  the  use  of  opium, 
gang  a,  and  other  narcotics.  They  are  a 
nuisance  all  over  India,  not  only  to  foreign- 
ers, but  also  to  their  own  people. 

You  would  not  be  able  to  remember  the 
names  of  all  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  In- 
dia, even  if  I  were  able  to  give  them  to 
you.  Chief  among  them,  however,  are 
Kali,  Jagannath,  Siva,  Parvati,  Vishnu,  and 
Krishna.  The  Hindu  says,  "Wherever  your 
faith  is,  there  is  your  god."  So  the  sun, 
the  moon,  the  stars,  fire,  air,  water,  and 
everything  in  the  universe  is  an  object  of 
adoration. 

KALI^    AN    UGLY    AND    CRUEL   GODDESS 

Kali  is  the  name  of  a  very  ugly  and  cruel 
goddess,  said  to  be  the  wife  of  Siva.      She 


X 


The  Goddess  Kali 

has  two  characters,  one  mild  and  the  other 
fierce,  and  is  represented  as  a  black  or  dark 
blue  woman  with  four  arms.  In  one  hand, 
she  carries  a  sword;  in  another,  the  head 
of  a  giant,   whom   she  has   slain;   and   with 

(33) 


34  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

the  other  two,  she  is  encouraging  her  wor- 
shipers. She  wears  a  necklace  of  skulls, 
and  has  two  dead  bodies  for  earrings.  Her 
only  clothing  is  a  girdle  of  dead  men's  hands ; 
and  her  tongue,  a  vivid  vermilion,  protrudes 
from  her  mouth.  Her  eyes  are  as  red  as 
those  of  a  drunkard,  and  her  breasts  are 
besmeared  with  blood.  She  stands  with  both 
feet  on  the  body  of  her  husband. 

The  natives  say  that  after  her  victory  over 
the  giant,  she  danced  for  joy  so  furiously 
that  the  earth  trembled.  Certain  offerings 
are  very  acceptable  to  her.  The  flesh  of  the 
antelope  and  the  rhinoceros  give  her  pleasure 
five  hundred  years;  with  a  human  sacrifice, 
she  is  pleased  one  thousand  years;  and  with 
a  sacrifice  of  three  men,  she  is  pleased  ten 
million  years.  Blood  drawn  from  the  body 
of  the  worshiper  himself  is  looked  upon  as 
a  very  proper  and  desirable  offering. 

The  sacred  books  of  the  Hindus  tell  them 
that  when  they  worship  Kali,  they  should 
say:  "Kali,  Kali,  hail  devi!  Goddess  of 
thunder,  hail,  iron-sceptered  goddess!  .  .  . 
Hrang,  hrang,  Kali,  Kali!  O  horrid,  tooth- 
less goddess!  Eat,  cut,  destroy,  all  malig- 
nant!    Cut  with  the  ax,  bind,  bind!     Seize, 


Idol  Worship  35 

seize!  Drink  blood.  Spheng,  spheng!  Se- 
cure, secure,  salutation  to  Kali!" 

The  thugs  who  used  to  rob  and  murder 
travelers  made  offerings  to  Kali  before  they 
set  out,  and  expected  her  to  preserve  them 
from  detection.  Immense  crowds  assemble 
to  worship  this  terrible  goddess.  Pilgrims 
who  visit  one  of  her  temples  are  expected 
to  sacrifice  a  goat,  a  sheep,  or  a  buffalo. 
Parents  desirous  of  sons,  and  families  in 
sorrow,  often  vow  to  Kali  that  if  their  re- 
quests be  granted,  they  will  sacrifice  a  kid 
to  her.  Those  who  offer  this  sacrifice  must 
also  pay  to  the  priest  four  annas,  or  eight 
cents,  for  the  privilege. 

On  some  days,  hundreds  and  even  thou- 
sands of  animals  are  sacrificed  to  Kali,  and 
the  priests  divide  the  proceeds  among  them- 
selves. The  courtyards  of  these  temples 
look  like  slaughterhouses,  while  the  smell  is 
sickening  on  account  of  the  hot  climate. 
Flies  swarm  everywhere,  and  disease  abounds. 

On  busy  days,  noisy,  bustling  crowds  sur- 
round the  temples,  pushing  and  jostling  one 
another,  with  nothing  sacred  about  the  cere- 
mony. When  a  victim  to  be  offered  is 
brought,  the  priest  puts  a  little  vermilion 
on  the   forehead   of  each  worshiper.      Then 


36 


Fruit  from  the  Jungle 


the  executioner  puts  the  animal's  head  into 
a  cage,  and  beheads  it.  A  little  of  the  blood 
is  sprinkled  in  front  of  the  idol,  and  the 
pilgrim   carries   away   the   headless   body. 

JAGANNATH 

Jagannath  (Juggernaut)  is  another  hor- 
rible idol.  He  has  circular  eyes,  and  a 
straight  headline,  with  a  square  knob  at  the 
top.  The  nose  is  large  and  hooked,  the 
mouth   crescent-shaped,    and   the    arms    pro- 


The  Car  of  Juggernaut 


Idol  Worship  37 

ject  in  a  line  with  the  mouth,  ending  in 
stumps  without  any  hands.  He  is  about  six 
feet  tall,  and  is  black  all  over. 

These  images  have  several  changes  of  rai- 
ment each  day.  The  first,  at  dawn,  is  most 
simple.  Later,  another  is  put  on  for  the  rest 
of  the  morning,  and  yet  another  for  the 
afternoon.  Still  another  outfit  is  used  when 
the  worshipers  smear  themselves  with  san- 
dalwood paste.  Soon  after  dusk,  following 
the  evening  meal,  the  court  dress  is  put  on. 
Jagannath  is  usually  kept  in  a  room  as  dark 
at  midday  as  it  is  at  midnight,  illustrating 
the  scripture,  "Men  loved  darkness  rather 
than  light,   because   their   deeds   were   evil." 

Food  that  has  been  offered  to  this  god 
is  called  Mahaprasad,  and  is  regarded  as 
absolutely  holy.  The  Hindus  believe  that, 
a  single  particle  of  this  food  is  able  to  wash 
off  the  moral  taint  of  the  greatest  crimes 
that  created  beings  can  commit.  Dancing 
girls  are  kept  in  the  temples.  Sometimes 
there  are  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  twenty 
in  a  single  place  to  dance  for  the  gods  after 
meals.  The  idols  representing  Jagannath 
have  many  feasts  during  the  year,  such  as 
the  "Holi,"  or  warm  clothing  festival,  the 
birth  festival,  and  the  bathing  festival.     At 


38  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

the  last-named,  the  idols  are  bathed;  then 
they  are  supposed  to  be  sick  for  two  weeks, 
having  contracted  fever  from  bathing.  Dur- 
ing this  period,  they  receive  a  new  coat  of 
paint. 

The  car  festival  for  Jagannath,  the  great- 
est event  of  the  year,  usually  takes  place  in 
June  or  July.  Pilgrims  throng  by  thou- 
sands to  this  feast.  The  car  of  Jagannath 
is  forty-five  feet  in  height,  and  has  sixteen 
wheels.  When  the  idols  are  brought  out 
and  placed  in  carts,  the  vast  multitudes 
surge  back  and  forth,  shouting  as  with  one 
voice,  and  thousands  fall  on  their  faces  in 
the  dust.  Then  the  crowd  drags  the  cart 
down   the   main   street   of   the   town. 

Music  strikes  up,  drums  are  beaten,  cym- 
bals clash,  and  charioteers  shout  obscene 
songs,  with  coarse  gestures,  which  are  re- 
ceived with  roars  of  laughter  from  the 
crowd.  Jerking,  tugging,  sweating,  shout- 
ing, jumping,  singing,  praying,  and  swear- 
ing, the  crowd  pulls  the  cart  along.  Four 
thousand  two  hundred  professional  pullers 
are  required  to  move  the  car  of  Jagannath 
a  distance  of  one  mile,  it  is  so  heavy. 

Pilgrim  hunters  all  over  India  try  by 
every   means    in    their    power    to    get    poor. 


Idol  Worship  39 

deluded  souls  to  visit  these  sacred  places  of 
worship.  They  declare  that  the  ground  all 
about  Pun,  the  place  of  the  gods,  is  literally 
made  of  gold.  Pilgrims  must  purchase  their 
food  at  these  sacred  places.  Often  it  is 
so  miserably  prepared  that  they  cannot  eat 
it,  but  they  dare  not  waste  a  morsel  of  such 
holy  diet.  Often  it  is  eaten  after  it  has 
decayed.  Pilgrims  suffer  greatly,  too,  from 
the  impurity  of  the  water  in  the  sacred 
tanks.  Although  these  are  filthy,  and  cov- 
ered with  slime,  the  water  is  said  to  be  holy, 
and  therefore  the  people   drink  it. 

Disease  and  death  take  a  fearful  toll  from 
these  crowds  every  year,  both  at  the  holy 
places  and  along  the  way  thither  and  re- 
turning. Hundreds  of  skeletons  are  scat- 
tered along  the  principal  routes  to  the 
different  places  of  special  worship.  When 
conditions  become  too  bad,  the  government 
steps  in  and  puts  a  stop  to  the  pilgrimages. 

THE   GOD    SIVA 

Siva  is  worshiped  under  the  form  of  a 
thick,  uncarved  block  of  granite,  about  eight 
feet  long.  This  block  is  bathed  several  times 
a  day  with  a  great  profusion  of  water,  also 
with  milk,    and   even   with   intoxicants,    and 


40  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

wiped  dry  after  each  washing.  Offerings  of 
flowers,  sandalwood  paste,  and  new  clothes 
are  placed  on  the  block,  and  the  idol  is  in- 
voked to  accept  them.  This  idol  also  is 
kept  in  a  dark  room,  where  only  the  sick 
may  enter,  with  a  lamp.  His  daily  worship 
consists   of  twenty-two   acts,   as   follows: 

1.  At  dawn,  a  bell  rings  to  awaken  the 
god. 

2.  A  lamp  with  many  wicks  is  waved. 

3.  The  teeth  of  the  god  are  cleansed  with 
a  long  stick. 

4.  The  god  has  a  full  bath. 

5.  The  god  is   dressed. 

6.  The  god  has  breakfast  of  grains,  sweets, 
curds,  and  coconuts. 

7.  Breakfast  of  cakes  and  viands  is  served. 

8.  A  lunch   is   served. 

9.  The  god  has  his  regular  lunch. 

10.  Dinner  of  curry,  rice,  pastry,  cakes, 
and  cream  is  served.  A  priest  burns  a 
lamp  and  incense. 

11.  Strains  of  noisy  music  are  sounded 
to  waken  the  god,  who  has  slept  for  some 
time. 

12.  Sweets  are  offered. 

13.  An  afternoon  bath  is  given. 

14.  He   is   dressed   again. 


Idol  Worship  41 

15.  A  meal  is  served. 

16.  Another  bath  is  given. 

17.  He  is  arrayed  in  full  dress, —  costly 
vestments  and  yellow  flowers, —  and  per- 
fumed. 

18.  Food  is  served. 

19.  Regular  supper. 

20.  Oblations. 

21.  Waving  of  lights. 

22.  A  bed  is  brought,  and  the  god  com- 
posed to  sleep. 

One's  head  nearly  swims  at  the  thought 
of  so  much  ceremony  for  a  stone,  and  all 
this  in  the  name  of  religion!  Oh,  what  can 
be  found  here  to  cure  a  sin-sick  soul  ?  — 
Nothing,  absolutely  nothing.  Yet  this  is 
all  that  these  poor  people  know. 

Many  of  the  temples  in  India  have  been 
erected  through  the  generosity  of  Hindus  of 
royal  blood.  Large  sums  have  also  been 
collected  in  small  amounts  from  the  people, 
and  devoted  to  this  purpose. 

HANUMAN^   THE   MONKEY   GOD 

At  Benares  may  be  found  the  Monkey 
Temple.  Here  large  monkeys  are  cared  for 
in  temples  as  the  representatives  of  Hanu- 
man,  the  monkey  god.     These  agile  animals 


42 


Fruit  from  the  Jungle 


scamper  over  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and 
wherever  their  fancy  leads  them,  sitting  on 
walls,  and  watching  their  opportunity  to  steal 
the    property    of    travelers.      They    are    fed 


A  Monkey  Tamer 


An  Old  Sadu,  or  Beggar  Priest 


with  grain  supplied  by  worshipers,  the  giv- 
ing of  which  is  believed  to  be  a  very  meri- 
torious act.  When  a  person  scatters  grain, 
and  cries,  ''Ao!  Aor  ("Come!  Come!")  the 
monkeys   gather   in   large   numbers. 

On  account  of  the  mischief  done  by  these 
creatures,  a  magistrate  removed  large  num- 
bers of  them  to  the  jungles  some  years  ago. 


Idol  Worship  43 

In  this  system  of  idol  worship,  man  has 
"changed  the  glory  of  the  uncorruptible  God 
into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man, 
and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts,  and 
creeping  things."  ISTote  some  of  the  re- 
sults of  this  awful  system  of  idolatry:  There 
is  an  incalculable  loss  of  money,  and  a  great 
deal  of  toil  and  sickness;  the  worshipers  are 
corrupted,  and  wickedness  is  increased.  In 
many  instances,  the  mode  of  worship  is  re- 
volting in  the  extreme.  The  worshipers  are 
deceived  by  the  most  outrageous  falsehoods, 
and  demerit  is  acquired  instead  of  the  merit 
promised  by  the  priests.  No  instruction  is 
given  concerning  man's  duty  to  God  and 
his  fellow  men,  and  the  objects  worshiped 
give  the  most  degrading  ideas  of  Jehovah. 

SACRED   PLANTS   AND   TREES 

Many  plants  and  trees,  such  as  the  pepul 
tree  and  the  toolsie  plant,  are  regarded  as 
sacred  by  the  Hindus.  Every  Hindu  who 
can  afford  it  has  a  garden  in  which  he 
raises  fruits,  flowers,  and  sacred  trees,  which 
are  dedicated  to  the  priests  and  the  gods. 
Usually  several  idols  are  found  in  the  shady 
nooks  of  such  a  garden. 


44  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Night  after  night,  the  Hindu  is  found 
in  the  temple,  chanting  his  weird  songs,  and 
making  the  night  hideous  with  his  shouts 
and  yells.  He  is  never  ashamed  to  be  seen 
bowing  before  idols.  Usually  the  climax  is 
reached  at  midnight,  and  the  sounding  cym- 
bals and  the  noise  of  the  multitudes  make  a 
din  that  is  fairly  deafening. 

RAG   GODS 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  I  must  tell 
you  of  the  rag  gods,  which  we  have  seen 
many  times.  A  rag  god  is  nothing  but  a 
tree  by  the  roadside,  covered  with  various 
sorts  of  rags.  One  person  vows  to  the  tree, 
and  tears  off  a  piece  of  his  garment  as  a 
sacrifice.  This  is  repeated  day  after  day, 
year  after  year,  till  the  number  of  wor- 
shipers runs  into  thousands,  and  the  tree  is 
a  mass  of  waving  rags.  At  first,  a  foreigner 
smiles  at  the  sight;  but  when  he  sees  men 
actually  bowing  before  such  a  god,  he  grows 
sad   with   pity   for   the    deluded   worshipers. 

Driving  through  the  mountains,  we  have 
often  seen  by  the  roadside  huge  bowlders 
dedicated  as  gods.  These  are  covered  with 
red  paint,  and  daily  receive  the  homage  of 
the  cart  men.     Usually  a  heap   of  coconut 


Idol  Worship  45 

shells  is  scattered  about  at  the  foot  of  each 
of  these  crude  gods,  a  coconut  being  a  com- 
mon offering. 

WHAT   IS   IT   TO   YOU? 

These  things  have  not  been  written  to 
entertain  or  amuse  those  who  might  read, 
but  to  open  their  eyes  to  the  present  needs 
of  India.  I  have  told  you  but  a  very  little. 
Volumes  on  such  themes  have  been  written 
by  many  eyewitnesses,  yet  the  half  has  never 
been  told.  One  must  visit  India  to  get  a 
faint  idea  of  her  sad  and  needy  condition. 
Will  you  not  ask  God  to  bless  and  save 
her  people?  And  will  you  not  give  of  your 
means,  be  it  little  or  more,  to  help  those 
already  working  in  that  needy  land  to  pro- 
claim the  good  tidings  to  those  who  sit  in 
darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death? 


46  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

"Before  Jehovah's  awful  throne, 
Ye  nations,  bow  with  sacred  joy. 
Know  that  the  Lord  is  God  alone; 
He  can  create,  and  He  destroy. 

"His  sovereign  power,  without  our  aid, 
Made  us  of  clay,  and  formed  us  men; 
And  when,  like  wandering  sheep,  we  strayed, 
He  brought  us  to  His  fold  again. 

"We  are  His  people,  we  His  care, — 
Our  souls  and  all  our  mortal  frame; 
What  lasting  honors  shall  we  rear, 
Almighty  Maker,  to  Thy  name! 

"We'll  crowd  Thy  gates  with  thankful  songs, 
High  as  the  heavens  our  voices  raise; 
And  earth,  with  her  ten  thousand  tongues. 
Shall  fill  Thy  courts  with  sounding  praise.  • 

"Wide  as  the  world  is  Thy  command, 
Vast  as  eternity  Thy  love; 
Firm  as  a  rock  Thy  truth  shall  stand. 
When  rolling  years  shall  cease  to  move." 


CHAPTER     III 


Saved  After  Ten  Years 

HEN  we  began  our  village  mission 
work  at  Zoonagaon,  we  found  that 
we  had  as  regular  attendants  three 
boys  from  one  family.  They  were 
little  fellows  ranging  from  six  to 
twelve  years  of  age.  They  told  us  their 
people  were  stonemasons,  and  belonged  to 
the  goundie  caste. 

We  usually  gathered  our  Hindu  friends 
with  the  boys  and  girls  under  a  large  banyan 
tree  not  far  from  the  home  of  these  three 
brothers.  Almost  ten  feet  from  the  trunk 
of  the  tree  stood  a  small  shrine  about  four 
feet  high,  made  of  stone  and  cement,  and 
built  on  a  cement  platform.  In  this  shrine 
was  placed  a  row  of  wooden  idols  from  about 
eight  to  fifteen  inches  long.  They  looked 
like  a  child's  dolls,  each  crudely  carved  out 
of  a  straight  stick  of  wood,  and  painted 
with  vermilion.  At  night,  before  the  shrine 
might  be  seen  a  tiny  light,  burning  from  a 
coconut  shell.  In  front  of  the  shrine  and  on 
the  ground  there  was  usually  a  pile  of  coco- 
nut shells,  these  nuts  being  among  the  most 

(47) 
4 


48  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

common  offerings  to  the  idols.  On  a  cer- 
tain day  each  year, —  and  at  that  time,  they 
are  rather  expensive, —  tons  of  coconuts  are 
thus  offered,  and  then  cast  into  the  ocean. 
After  we  became  known  to  these  people, 
we  taught  their  children  the  Ten  Command- 


Two    Little  Mohammedan  Broth- 
ers  at   Our  Kalyan   School 


Three  Brothers   from   One   Fam- 
ily at  Our  Kalyan  School 


ments  and  many  other  parts  of  the  word  of 
God;  and  we  are  sure  they  will  always  re- 
member that  we  told  them  just  what  an  idol 
really  is. 

Among  the  brightest,  keenest  boys  at  that 
place  were  the  three  brothers  already  re- 
ferred to.     They  were  faithful  in  attendance. 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  49 

and  learned  many  Bible  texts.  An  older 
brother  taught  in  the  public  schools.  He  was 
evidently  too  proud  to  come  into  our  gather- 
ings with  the  rest  of  his  people,  though  he 
often  stood  at  a  distance  and  listened  to 
what  was  said,  and  for  some  reason,  never 
objected  to  his  brothers'  learning  from  us. 
Perhaps  he  thought  they  could  never  be 
turned   from   Hinduism  to   Christianity. 

Whenever  these  boys  saw  us  approaching 
with  our  company  of  Christians  and  musical 
instruments,  they  would  run  for  mats  or 
chairs,  and  carry  them  to  the  shade  of  the 
tree,  for  us  to  use.  Surely  this  spoke  of  a 
welcome  to  us,  and  we  greatly  appreciated 
their  courtesy. 

RAMANA 

The  oldest  of  the  three  brothers,  Ramana 
by  name,  was  self-appointed  usher,  and  took 
it  upon  himself  to  make  all  the  others  sit 
where  he  thought  they  should.  In  this  way, 
he  really  helped  us;  and  if  for  any  reason 
he  was  absent,  we  missed  his  assistance  very 
much. 

After  a  while,  the  parents  and  many  of 
the  relatives  and  friends  of  these  boys  be- 
came regular  attendants  at  our  service  at 
that   place;   and   whenever   we   passed    their 


50  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

home,  they  came  out  and  greeted  us  with 
respectful  salaams. 

Most  of  the  children  of  India  are  very 
poor.  Not  only  do  they  wear  no  clothes, 
but  they  seldom  get  even  a  taste  of  popped 
corn  or  other  things  such  as  children  in  all 
countries  usually  like.  So  it  has  always  been 
our  custom  to  take  with  us  a  bag  of  some- 
thing that  we  know  the  children  are  fond 
of.  I  would  tell  them  to  sit  quietly  with 
folded  hands  while  we  instructed  them,  and 
then  every  one  would  receive  a  present.  It 
would  not  be  wise  to  do  this  if  these  children 
were  Christians;  but  as  they  are  heathen,  it 
has  a  good  effect,  winning  them  to  us,  and 
holdino^  them  while  we  sow  the  seeds  of  truth. 

When  the  famine  of  1900  came  on,  we 
were  glad  to  be  able  to  assist  many  of  these 
people  by  giving  them  work.  Following 
famine  came  the  plague.  We  were  grieved 
when  news  came  to  us  that  one  of  these 
brothers  had  died.  For  some  time,  the  fam- 
ine and  the  plague  broke  up  our  meetings, 
and  our  flock  about  the  banyan  tree  was 
scattered.  When  we  resumed  meetings  at 
that  place,  many  little  faces  were  gone;  yet 
we  were  glad  we  had  taught  them  the  word 
of  God  and  to  sing  Christian  songs.     One 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  51 

of  the  greatest  comforts  to  our  hearts  in 
that  town  was  to  hear  the  boys  whistle  and 
sing  our  Christian  songs  in  the  streets  and 
about  their  play. 

HUNGRY  BOYS 

One  afternoon,  several  of  these  boys  came 
to  the  mission  house,  and  said  they  were  so 
very  hungry  they  did  not  care  if  they  did 
break  their  caste.  They  were  so  hungry  they 
would  eat  food  prepared  by  a  Christian  cook, 
requesting  only  that  they  be  allowed  to  eat 
it  in  secret.  We  consented,  food  was  pre- 
pared, and  they  evidently  relished  it.  We 
were  well  repaid  by  their  expressions  of 
gratitude  and  appreciation.  I  think  it  also 
helped  them  to  see  that  eating  our  food  did 
not  defile  them,  nor  make  them  any  worse 
off  than  they  were  before. 

Caste  people  may  not  eat  food  nor  drink 
water  handled  by  castes  lower  than  them- 
selves. All  white  men  and  Christians  are 
regarded  as  outcastes  by  Hindus.  Some  of 
these  lads  frequently  attended  our  services 
conducted  for  Christians.  Few  heathen  ever 
do  this,  so  most  of  our  inside  meetings  are 
for  our  own  people.  Meetings  for  heathen 
are  generally  held  out  in  the  open. 


52  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

One  day,  Ramana  came  to  the  mission 
house,  and  had  a  serious  talk  with  two  of 
the  missionaries.  He  said  he  believed  in 
Christ,  and  really  wanted  to  accept  Him; 
but  it  was  hard  to  forsake  all,  and  he  felt 
that  he  could  not  take  the  step  then.  We 
were  disappointed,  but  did  not  forget  to  pray 
often  that  this  young  man  might  have  cour- 
age to  decide  for  the  right. 

For  some  time  after  that,  there  was  si- 
lence, and  Ramana  seemed  shy  of  the  meet- 
ings and  the  mission.  He  obtained  employ- 
ment, and  was  lost  in  the  crowd,  so  we  did 
not  see  him  for  months.  Then  we  opened 
our  medical  dispensary  in  town.  This  was 
a  new  feature  of  mission  effort;  and  Ramana, 
hearing  of  it,  became  almost  a  daily  visitor. 
He  did  not  always  come  for  treatment  or 
medicine,  although  a  mere  scratch  on  liis 
hand  or  foot  would  have  been  to  him  ample 
excuse  for  a  visit;  but  he  seemed  to  like 
the  atmosphere  of  the  place,  where  he  al- 
ways heard  the  Bible  read  and  sweet  songs 
sung.  Without  doubt,  his  heart  longed  to 
be  free  from  the  yoke  and  chains  of  super- 
stition and  heathenism.  He  saw  beyond  him 
the  green   fields   of  peace,   while   he   fed   in 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  53 

the  wilderness  of  sin  and  bitterness.  The 
struggle  going  on  in  his  heart  must  have 
been  fierce  in  those  days. 

READY    TO    HELP 

At  the  dispensary,  he  was  only  too  glad 
to  be  asked  to  go  on  errands,  and  was  al- 
ways ready  to  help  in  any  way,  and  give 
what  time  he  could.  He  attended  public 
school  until  his  eyes  began  to  trouble  him. 
After  leaving  school,  he  frequently  requested 
the  mission  to  employ  him;  but  usually  Hin- 
dus are  not  employed  when  there  are  needy 
native  Christians  to  look  after.  He  kept 
company  with  the  Hindus,  but  frankly  con- 
fessed that  he  had  no  faith  in  idols,  and 
never  worshiped  them.  Of  course,  we  were 
glad  to  hear  this,  and  had  no  reason  to 
doubt  his  word. 

I  think  he  may  have  taken  part  in  the 
good  times  on  their  feast  days;  and  fre- 
quently his  mother  would  prepare  a  tray 
of  nicely  cooked  food,  with  sweets  and  fruits, 
which,  with  great  pride  and  pleasure,  he 
would  present  to  us.  It  pleased  him  also  to 
see  us  taste  of  each  thing.  Finally  Ramana 
became  an  apprentice  to  a  tailor  in  town, 
and  decided  to  pursue  that  occupation.    Thus 


54  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

time  rolled  on  with  us  all  till  about  the 
ninth  year  after  we  first  met  under  the 
banyan  tree  near  the  shrine  of  the  gods. 
Then  Ramana  could  endure  the  pent-up  feel- 
ings of  his  heart  no  longer;  he  made  up  his 
mind  definitely  to  study  the  Bible  and  the 
Christian  religion  for  himself. 

RAMANA^S    MARRIAGE    ARRANGED 

His  parents  had  spent  a  considerable  sum 
of  money  in  making  an  engagement  for  his 
marriage,  which  did  not  altogether  suit  his 
enlightened  ideas.  He  had  never  seen  the 
little  Hindu  girl  whom  he  would  be  called 
upon  by  this  step  to  take  and  support.  He 
knew  that  Christians  did  not  do  things  that 
way,  and  he  wished  to  choose  for  himself 
when  he  was  ready  for  so  important  a  step. 
As  an  obedient  son,  however,  he  knew  that 
he  must  soon  be  married  to  the  girl  his 
parents  had  chosen  for  him,  and  when  thus 
married,  he  must  live  with  her.  He  wished 
to  become  a  Christian;  and  what  would  he 
do  then  with  a  child  wife,  and  a  Hindu  at 
that? 

More  serious  thoughts  than  ever  now  pos- 
sessed his  mind.  If  he  could  only  become  a 
Christian    before    the    marriage,    then    they 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  55 

would  at  least  have  to  postpone  it.  But  he 
needed  to  know  more  of  our  religion  before 
he  could  take  that  step.  What  should  he 
do?  He  seemed  in  a  plight  indeed,  and 
frequently  came  to  us  for  advice  and  coun- 
sel. Realizing  our  personal  responsibility,  we 
prayed  for  help  to  do  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  time;  but  we  often  wondered  what  the 
outcome  would  be. 

Our  great  Teacher  said,  on  one  occasion, 
"Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,"  and,  "Ye 
are  the  light  of  the  world."  Truly  this  is 
so;  for  when  a  servant  of  God  daily  goes 
in  and  out  among  the  heathen,  he  is  always 
preaching  the  gospel,  whether  he  is  conscious 
of  the  fact  or  not.  In  time,  such  influences 
bear  their  fruit  among  idolaters,  who  are 
convinced  of  a  better  way  through  the  gospel 
of  light  and  truth.  This  was  Ramana's  state. 
He  saw  the  light,  he  believed  in  it,  and 
yearned  to  walk  in  it,  while  his  natural  heart 
and  every  earthly  influence  about  him  seemed 
to  pull  in  the  opposite  direction. 

A  MOMENTOUS  DECISION 

One  day,  Ramana  came  to  the  mission 
house,  and,  like  a  trustful  child,  sat  on  the 
floor    and    opened    his    heart    in    confidence. 


56  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

He  longed  for  rest  and  quiet,  and  acknowl- 
edged that  his  greatest  battle  seemed  with 
his  own  heart.  But  he  was  tired  of  the 
struggle,  and  was  ready  to  do  anything  if 
only  we  would  take  him,  and  teach  him  the 
way   of   peace.      I   was   out   in   the   jungles 


"-^7 

^~^"! 


^r: 


'T^o^.4 


A    Hindu    Reading    God's    Word 


Cutting  off  the   "Shindi, 
Sacred  Lock  of  Hair 


that  day  looking  after  some  men  who  were 
cutting  grass.  He  hunted  me  out,  and  came 
bounding  over  the  fields  to  say  he  had  de- 
cided to  leave  the  life  of  the  past  and  become 
a  Christian. 

Men  do  all  the  dressmaking  and  tailoring 
in  India;  and  as  this  young  man  possessed 
some  experience  in  that  work,  we  concluded 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  57 

that  the  mission  ladies  could  teach  him  daily 
how  to  cut  and  sew,  and  I  could  give  him 
Bible  lessons.  Thus  he  would  be  able  to 
gain  a  livelihood  and  a  fuller  knowledge  of 
the  gospel  truth  at  the  same  time.  His  work 
brought  him  to  the  mission  house  daily;  but 
as  he  boarded  at  home,  his  people  did  not 
suspect  his  full  intentions. 

Ramana  wanted  a  Bible,  to  study  for  him- 
self; so  from  the  Bible  fund,  one  was  bought 
for  him.  I  never  saw  another  person  so 
anxious  to  read  and  know  the  Bible  as  that 
lad.  He  always  kept  it  open  beside  him 
at  his  work.  All  his  spare  time  was  spent 
in  its  study,  and  frequently  he  remained  until 
a  late  hour  at  night  to  read.  He  seemed 
to  think  he  must  read  the  whole  book  before 
he  could  understand  what  we  really  be- 
lieved. Every  one  at  the  mission  house  was 
amazed  at  his  intense  interest.  We  have 
never  seen  anything  just  like  it,  either  be- 
fore or  since. 

THE    PLAGUE    AND    PROVIDENCE 

By  and  by  Ramana's  parents  began  to 
wonder  why  he  spent  so  much  time  at  the 
mission,  for  he  had  never  worked  such  long 
hours  before.  Their  suspicions  were  aroused, 
and  they  accused  him  of  planning  to  leave 


58  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Hinduism.  About  this  time,  plague  broke 
out  again  in  our  town,  and  the  government 
forbade  our  people  to  associate  with  those  of 
the  plague-stricken  district.  In  this  we  saw 
the  providence  of  God;  for  Ramana  was 
obliged  to  remain  at  the  mission  night  and 
day,  or  be  sent  off  to  the  jungles  with  all 
who  were  driven  from  the  town  because  of 
the  plague.  The  town  itself  was  actually 
deserted.  Now  came  the  golden  opportunity 
of  his  life,  and  wisely  he  improved  it. 

He  not  only  studied  the  Bible,  but  he 
began  to  commit  our  hymns  to  memory,  and 
delighted  to  repeat  them  one  after  another. 
He  also  began  to  pray  at  our  meetings.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  night  he  decided  to 
take  the  final  step.  He  prayed  and  con- 
fessed and  sought  divine  help  for  nearly  an 
hour.  His  petition  was  most  pathetic.  A 
change  was  very  evident  in  his  life  and  words. 
He  had  really  accepted  Christ  in  his  heart, 
and  endeavored  to  conform  his  life  to  every 
precept  of  the  word  of  God. 


1   MUST  BE   BAPTIZED^" 


Ramana  found  a  special  friend  in  one  of 
our  schoolmasters,  Lucas  by  name,  and  these 
two  spent  much  time  in  study  together.     As 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  59 

soon  as  work  closed  one  evening,  Ramana 
came  to  me,  and  said:  "Sir,  I  cannot  con- 
tain myself  any  longer.  I  must  be  baptized." 
Before  this  request  was  made,  the  elder 
brother  had  heard  that  Ramana  was  praying 
and  reading  the  Bible,  and  it  had  caused 
such  a  stir  in  their  home  that  the  elder 
brother  took  a  cane,  and  beat  this  young 
disciple  of  Christ  so  severely  that  he  bore 
the  scars  for  many  days.  Yet  he  patiently 
endured  it.  The  day  he  asked  for  baptism, 
we  scarcely  knew  what  to  say.  There  was 
no  deep  water  in  those  parts;  so  we  de- 
cided to  dig  out  a  spring  and  make  a  place. 
This  took  several  days.  In  the  meantime, 
he  told  his  people  his  intention,  and  was 
willing  to  take  the  consequences. 

A  TRYING  TIME 

People  in  America  and  other  Christianized 
lands  little  realize  just  what  it  means  in 
India  to  become  a  Christian.  To  a  Hindu, 
truly  it  is  death  to  all  once  held  dear.  About 
this  time,  the  mother  of  the  boy  paid  us  a 
visit,  and  became  so  enraged  as  she  spoke 
of  the  matter,  that  she  foamed  at  the  mouth, 
and  was  literally  beside  herself.  She  de- 
clared she  would  beat  out  her  brains  on  our 


60  Fruit  froin  the  Jungle 

doorsteps  before  she  would  consent  to  her 
son's  becoming  a  Christian,  and  actually 
did  bang  her  forehead  on  the  stone  steps. 
Then  she  said  she  would  jump  down  a  well. 
Finally  she  and  her  daughter  began  to  pull 
at  the  boy's  hair,  arms,  and  legs,  till  we 
feared  they  would  kill  him,  and  interfered 
to  protect  him.  Then  she  said:  "Take  him, 
then.  I  don't  want  him.  Now  he  is  yours, 
and  not  mine  any  longer."  After  this,  she 
threw  rocks  at  the  house,  and  left  to  go  to 
the  police  station,  all  the  time  screaming  out 
oaths  and  foul  language.  Verily  she  seemed 
as  one  gone  mad  or  possessed  with  a  demon. 

That  indeed  was  a  trying  time  for  us 
all.  We  were  so  grieved  over  what  we  had 
seen  and  heard  that  we  had  little  to  say  to 
one  another.  It  was  a  time  for  great  cau- 
tion and  much  prayer.  The  evil  one  seemed 
let  loose  upon  us,  and  a  battle  between  the 
forces  of  good  and  evil  seemed  waging  about 
the  place. 

Ramana  decided  to  remain  with  us  at 
the  mission,  perhaps  fearing  that  his  people 
would  kill  him  if  he  went  to  his  home.  About 
this  time,  JNIrs.  Wood  had  some  patients  in 
the  locality  of  Ramana's  home;  and  when- 
ever she  went  to  visit  them,  whether  on  foot 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  61 

or  on  horseback,  Ramana's  mother  and  sister 
were  sure  to  come  out  upon  the  public  road, 
and  curse  her  as  she  passed.  Some  of  our 
native  Christians  who  lived  near  became 
afraid  to  pass  Ramana's  home,  as  his  people 
seemed  always  on  "the  lookout  for  Christians, 
and  bent  on  expressing  their  hatred  in  some 
way. 

After  a  while,  Ramana  decided  to  go 
home,  and  show  his  relatives  he  could  be 
kind  to  them,  although  he  had  changed  his 
faith.  They  endeavored  in  all  manner  of 
ways  to  pervert  his  mind  and  turn  him  aside, 
but  the  lad  stood  firmly.  He  said  little,  but 
walked  circumspectly.  Daily  he  came  to 
see  us,  and  told  us  all  that  was  going  on. 

Our  hearts  were  sick  during  this  time,  and 
we  knew  that  God  alone  could  help  us. 
These  battles  with  wicked  people  and  the 
powers  of  darkness  are  quite  common  in 
India.  While  they  are  on,  they  seem  to 
divert  the  mind  from  everything  else,  and 
sap  the  vitality  and  strength  of  the  workers. 

There  is  little  if  any  restraint  among  those 
whose  hearts  are  "set  in  them  to  do  evil"; 
and  when  they  are  wholly  given  over  to 
the  devil,  they  are  absolutely  reckless,  and 
indifferent  as  to  the  results  of  their  misbe- 


62  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

havior.  When  the  evil  spirits  had  become 
weary,  and  matters  began  to  quiet  down, 
Ramana  made  up  his  mind  the  time  had 
come  for  him  to  obey  his  convictions  and  be 
baptized.  Quietly  calling  me  aside  one  day, 
he  said,  "Sir,  please  take  me  away  from 
this  place,  and  baptize  me,  and  then  they 
will  not  marry  me  nor  have  anything  more 
to  do  with  me."  Little  did  he  realize  then 
that  the  greatest  battle  for  him  was  just 
ahead. 

A    SECRET   ERRAND 

Calling  the  missionaries  together,  we  told 
them  what  we  thought  of  doing.  No  one 
disagreed,  so  we  began  to  plan  for  our 
silent  departure.  Ramana  quietly  brought 
a  few  of  his  clothes  into  the  mission  house, 
and  we  packed  them  in  a  suit  case,  and 
engaged  two  seats  in  the  mail  coach  for  the 
following  day.  The  plan  to  leave  was  kept 
a  secret.  The  coach  would  drive  to  our 
door,  stop  at  the  post  office  a  moment  for 
mail  pouches,  and  then  at  five  in  the  after- 
noon we  would  be  off  toward  the  railroad 
station,  twenty-eight  miles  distant.  Those 
were  anxious  moments  till  the  time  came 
to  leave. 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  68 

The  next  day,  the  mail  coach  drove  up  to 
our  door;  and  bidding  the  family  good-by, 
we  were  soon  on  our  way  to  the  post  office. 
Ramana  and  Lucas  were  in  the  habit  of 
taking  a  walk  together  at  this  hour;  and  on 
this  particular  day,  they  had  gone  across 
the  mountain  pass,  intending  to  meet  the 
coach  outside  the  town  limits.  The  driver 
asked  for  the  other  passenger;  but  we  re- 
plied, "He  will  meet  us  on  the  way,  outside 
the  town."  We  feared  lest  he  should  be- 
come inquisitive,  and  want  to  know  who  was 
to  go  with  us;  but  he  was  silent  —  much 
to  our  relief. 

We  had  driven  on  for  several  miles,  before, 
from  the  side  of  the  winding  mountain  road, 
out  stepped  our  other  passenger,  Ramana. 
We  merely  said  "Salaam,"  and  he  quickly 
seated  himself  beside  me.  Then,  lest  he 
should  be  recognized  by  some  one  going  to 
our  town,  he  threw  a  cloth  over  his  head, 
and  pretended  to  lie  to  one  side  asleep.  We 
did  not  talk  much  on  the  way,  and  then  only 
in  short  sentences. 

In  India,  one  may  be  a  Christian,  and  it 
does  not  matter  so  much  among  the  Hindus 
until  he  is  publicly  baptized.  But  from 
that  moment,  he  is  counted  as  a  real  Chris- 


64  Fnilt  from  the  Jungle 

tian,  and  is  usually  ostracized  by  all  his 
former  associates.  Ramana  only  longed  thus 
to  be  cut  loose  from  them  all. 

When  we  reached  the  railway  station, 
about  9 :  30  p.  m.,  I  began  to  feel  a  sense 
of  relief,  and  quite  sure  of  our  escape  with- 
out detection;  but  my  charge  cautioned  me 
lest  some  one  knowing  us  might  be  at  the 
station,  or  that  perhaps  his  family  had  tele- 
graphed ahead  to  the  police  to  stop  him 
from  getting  on  the  train.  While  I  pur- 
chased the  tickets,  he  quickly  slipped  off  in 
the  shadows,  but  where  he  could  see  me  as 
I  boarded  the  train.  I  purposely  took  a 
third-class  ticket,  and  chose  an  empty  apart- 
ment, where  we  could  be  by  ourselves,  and 
pray  and  converse  together. 


'^ANOTHER    orphan' 


When  the  signal  to  move  on  was  sounded, 
Ramana  quickly  slipped  into  the  train  and 
closed  the  door.  Soon  the  train  was  in  mo- 
tion; and  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  we  began  to 
breathe  freely  once  more.  In  his  relief, 
Ramana  threw  his  arms  about  me,  and  knelt 
on  the  floor  of  that  speeding  train,  thanking 
God  for  a  safe  deliverance,  and  begging  His 
special    protection    and    blessing.      I    asked 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  ^5 

God  that  if  it  was  His  will,  as  a  sign  of  His 
special  approval,  I  might  obtain  another 
orphan  boy  for  my  school  while  on  this  trip. 

When  we  arose,  we  began  to  speak  of 
Ramana's  family  at  home,  and  what  they 
would  probably  say  and  do.  We  knew  he 
would  be  missed  at  once,  because  for  some 
time  he  had  spent  his  nights  in  his  own 
home.  His  mother  would  go  to  the  mission 
house  (this  she  actually  did),  and  would 
be  very  angry  with  the  Padri  Sahib, —  the 
preacher.  Then  she  would  conclude  that 
her  efforts  to  keep  her  son  a  Hindu  were 
vain;  and  the  sooner  she  gained  this  knowl- 
edge, the  better  for  herself  and  all  con- 
cerned. 

With  these  thoughts  uppermost  in  our 
minds,  we  spread  out  our  blankets  and  pil- 
lows on  the  board  seats  of  the  railway  car- 
riage compartment,  and  were  soon  rocked  to 
sleep  by  the  jostle  and  rolling  of  the  train. 
We  had  decided  that  it  might  be  best  to  stop 
off  at  Igatpuri,  a  hill  station  eighty-five 
miles  inland  from  Bombay.  There  were 
many  Christians  in  that  town,  some  of  whom 
we  knew.  Besides,  there  was  plenty  of 
water  there,  and  a  good  place  for  baptizing. 


66  Fruit  p^om  the  Jungle 

After  the  strain  and  suspense  of  the  previous 
day,  it  would  be  a  delightful  change  to  meet 
Christian  friends  and  breathe  a  clearer  at- 
mosphere. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  after  being 
on  the  train  about  eight  hours,  we  arrived 
at  our  station.  As  we  had  our  own  lunch 
with  us,  we  decided  to  wash  our  faces  in  the 
station,  and  then  go  to  the  home  of  some 
friends,  and  tell  them  the  object  of  our 
visit. 

THANKING  GOD  IN  THE  RAILWAY  STATION 

Ramana  was  so  delighted  with  the  plan, 
that  he  almost  forgot  himself,  and  began  to 
laugh  with  delight.  We  knelt  on  the  stone 
floor  of  the  waiting  room,  and  in  prayer 
asked  God  to  lead  and  bless  us  that  day. 

The  station  servants  looked  on  in  curiosity, 
concluding,  of  course,  that  we  were  Chris- 
tians, and  only  following  out  our  custom. 
As  soon  as  we  thought  it  proper,  we  went  to 
the  preacher's  house.  The  native  preachers 
were  called,  and  the  news  of  our  visit  and 
plans  spread  very  rapidly. 

Fearing  that  the  Hindus  of  the  town  might 
try  to  make  trouble,  we  decided  to  have  the 
baptismal  service  at  seven  o'clock  that  eve- 


(67) 


68  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

ning.  A  little  group  of  believers  accom- 
panied us  to  the  beautiful  mountain  lake 
where  the  meeting  was  to  be  held. 

THE    BAPTISM 

A  few  Hindus  who  had  seen  us  baptize 
at  that  very  place  once  before  also  joined 
the  company.  We  have  always  made  such 
a  time  an  occasion  for  clearly  reading  the 
word  of  God  on  repentance  and  baptism, 
also  for  saying  a  few  words  to  those  as- 
sembled as  to  their  personal  obligations  to 
God.  This  we  did  at  this  time,  then  sang 
some  hymns,  and  offered  fervent  prayers 
for  God's  blessing  on  the  candidate,  and  on 
all  the  work  of  the  gospel  in  that  great  and 
needy  country. 

Then  came  a  part  of  the  service  which  is 
seldom  if  ever  seen  in  other  lands.  First 
asking  the  candidate  to  say  a  few  words  by 
way  of  personal  testimony,  and  of  his  de- 
sire to  follow  Christ  in  baptism,  I  took  out 
of  my  pocket  a  small  pair  of  scissors,  and 
proceeded  to  cut  off  the  sacred  Brahmanical 
thread,  and  the  shandi,  or  sacred  lock  of 
hair  on  top  of  his  head.  To  me  this  is  a 
delightful  task,  for  it  means  that  the  last 
sign  of  Hinduism  is  gone.     "Then,   while   a 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  69 

hymn  was  sung,  we  walked  together  down 
into  the  water,  and  I  mimersed  him,  in  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  We  had  been  battling 
against  the  powers  of  darkness  for  ten  years 
for  that  one  soul;  and  now  that  he  had 
publicly  renounced  the  world,  and  followed 
Christ  in  baptism,  words  could  not  express 
our  joy. 

THE   PRAYER   ANSWERED 

When  Ramana  was  baptized,  we  changed 
his  heathen  name  to  Ralph.  Knowing  that 
for  the  lad  to  return  home  immediately 
would  probably  not  be  safe,  we  made  a  short 
visit  in  Bombay,  then  returned  to  Igatpuri, 
where  a  good  sister  opened  her  home  to 
Ralph,  and  arrangements  were  made  for 
him  to  study  and  rest.  During  our  visit  in 
Bombay,  a  sister  who  had  a  temperance  hotel 
told  me  that  she  had  with  her  a  poor  mother 
with  a  little  boy  who  needed  a  home,  and 
asked  if  I  would  take  charge  of  them.  See- 
ing in  this  call  the  answer  to  my  prayer,  I 
gladly  answered,  "Yes,  of  course." 

While  at  the  hill  station,  our  young  con- 
vert was  constantly  gathering  little  groups 
about  him,   and   expounding   the    Scriptures 


70  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

to  them,  and  telling  them  of  his  faith  in 
Christ.  In  fact,  he  put  many  of  the  older 
Christians  to  shame  in  his  enthusiasm  and 
ardor  for  the  truth.  This  is  often  the  case. 
As  we  become  used  to  the  gospel,  it  fails  to 
grip  our  hearts  as  it  should. 

In  a  few  days,  I  returned  to  my  friends 
and  duties.  Before  I  arrived,  the  news  of 
Ramana's  baptism  had  spread  by  letter,  and 
so  the  way  was  prepared  for  my  reception. 
I  had  not  been  at  home  long  before  his  old 
mother  came  to  tell  me  just  what  she  thought 
of  her  son  and  of  our  treatment  of  him,  and 
to  express  the  hatred  in  her  heart.  I  listened 
patiently  for  a  while,  and  then  said  I  had 
duties  to  attend  to,  and  must  say  a  final 
"Salaam."  Thereupon  she  took  her  leave, 
apparently  convinced  that  her  efforts  were 
fruitless,  and  we  went  on  with  our  regular 
work  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Still  the  undertone  of  the  town's  talk  con- 
vinced us  that  the  whole  Hindu  community 
was  stirred.  One  of  their  own  schoolboys 
had  actually  become  a  Christian,  and  they 
had  not  been  able  to  prevent  it.  Not  only 
so,  but  for  years  they  had  seen  us  sowing 
the  seed  on  all  sides  early  and  late,  in  their 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  71 

public  markets,  in  our  day  schools,  sewing 
classes,  and  medical  dispensary.  The  influ- 
ence of  the  Christian  religion  was  beyond 
their  control. 

THE   TESTING   TIME 

At  the  end  of  a  month,  Ralph  came  home. 
He  had  bought  new  dresses  in  Bombay  for 
both  mother  and  sister,  hoping  in  this  way 
to  convince  them  that  he  still  cared  for  them 
as  before.  They  accepted  these  presents; 
but  when  he  told  them  he  had  been  baptized, 
and  when  they  saw  that  his  hair  had  been 
cut  off,  they  wept  bitterly,  and  the  words 
they  uttered  were  strange  words  —  such  as 
only  a  Hindu  can  utter. 

The  testing  time  for  our  boy  now  came. 
He  was  informed  that  he  must  not  eat  with 
the  rest  of  the  family;  that  he  could  not 
use  their  dishes  nor  cups.  In  fact,  he  would 
defile  the  whole  family  and  all  his  caste 
people  in  that  town,  if  he  ate  under  their 
roof.  So  he  came  to  the  mission  house,  and 
boarded  with  his  friend  Lucas. 

For  some  time,  Ralph  remained  at  the 
mission,  taking  an  active  part  in  all  the  work, 
but  not  going  into  the  market  place  to  teach. 
His  people  frequently  came  to  see  him,  and 


72  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

his  j^ounger  brother  became  so  interested  that 
we  all  felt  that  he  might  follow  his  example. 
One  night,  we  had  a  special  service,  which 
lasted  till  a  late  hour.  Several  Hindus 
were  present,  and  seemed  deeply  impressed 
with  what  they  saw  and  heard.  Imagine 
our  surprise  the  next  morning  when  one 
came  quickly  to  tell  us  that  Ralph  and  all 
his  things  were  gone!  His  room  was  empty, 
and  the  door  wide  open!  We  could  scarcely 
believe  the  report,  and  went  to  see  if  it 
was  so.  Yes,  it  was  too  true;  and  no  one 
had  heard  a  word  or  knew  a  thing  about 
his  departure.  What  had  become  of  the  lad? 
Had  we  been  too  careless,  after  all  our 
trouble?  We  began  to  chide  ourselves,  and 
think  that  perhaps  we  had  not  been  cautious 
enough.  Had  he  recanted,  and  given  up 
the  Saviour  under  the  pressure  of  trial  and 
family  persuasion? 

CAST  OUT 

Inquiries  were  made,  and  we  learned  that 
Ralph  was  not  in  the  village.  Where  could 
he  be?  We  made  up  our  minds  that  the 
Hindus  were  desperate  lest  this  young  Chris- 
tian's influence  should  spread  and  draw  many 
others  after  him.     We  knew  that  his  people 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  73 

had  planned  a  marriage  for  him;  but  now 
their  plans  must  come  to  naught  if  the  facts 
were  known.  The  parents  of  the  Hindu  girl 
intended  for  Ramana's  wife  would  never 
consent  to  their  daughter's  having  a  despised 
Christian  for  her  husband.  Who  ever  heard 
of  such  an  awful  calamity  in  India!  Through 
the  tactics  of  an  old  woman  who  served  at 
the  mission,  we  learned  that  Ramana  had 
gone  to  the  place  where  the  intended  bride 
lived.  We  believed  the  report,  but  know- 
ing nothing  of  his  motives,  could  only  pray, 
and  try  to  be  as  patient  as  possible.  We 
wanted  Ralph  to  have  a  Christian  wife,  and 
had  already  promised  to  get  one  for  him, 
even  before  he  was  baptized.  Parents  in 
India  always  look  after  such  matters;  so  it 
falls  to  the  lot  of  missionaries  to  act  as  foster 
parents  in  this  respect. 

One  day  we  were  told  that  Ralph's  peo- 
ple hoped  to  get  him  back  into  caste,  and 
that  they  could  do  it  by  new  decrees  recently 
passed  among  Hindus,  in  order  to  offset 
the  work  of  the  Christian  missionaries.  Be 
that  as  it  might,  we  felt  sure  that  Ramana 
would  never  consent  to  return  to  Hinduism. 
We  knew  that  he  must  be  restrained  in  some 
way,  and  believed  that  sometime  we  should 


74  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

be  able  to  get  the  facts  in  the  case.  It  would 
not  be  wise  to  attempt  to  visit  him  at  such 
a  time.  It  was  a  comfort  to  know  that  the 
Hindus  had  not  killed  him;  and  we  did  not 
care  to  enrage  them,  lest  they  in  revenge 
should  take  his  life. 

A  VISIT  BY  NIGHT 

After  several  weeks  of  absence  from  home, 
it  was  said  that  Ralph  was  at  home  again, 
and  that  he  had  again  become  a  Hindu.  We 
did  not  believe  this  report,  although  many 
of  our  native  Christians  gave  credence  to  it. 
Days  of  suspense  passed,  and  not  a  word 
of  news  came.  Some  said  they  saw  Ralph's 
face  as  they  passed  the  home  of  his  people; 
but  these  whisperings  died  down,  and  no 
one  said  a  word  about  the  matter.  Still  we 
did  not  cease  to  pray  that  God  would  de- 
liver Ralph  from  the  devil's  grasp. 

About  two  o'clock  one  night,  I  heard  a 
gentle  tap  on  my  window  not  far  from  the 
head  of  my  bed,  followed  by  the  words: 
"Papa!  Papa!  It  is  I.  May  I  come  in?" 
I  knew  the  voice,  and  the  plaintive  tones  ap- 
pealed to  my  heart.  Running  to  the  back 
door,  I  pulled  the  bolt,  and  my  long  absent 
boy    Ralph    fell    into   my    arms.      We    both 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  75 

wept,  and  in  hushed  tones  began  to  plan 
and  get  at  the  facts.  He  had  but  a  dothie, 
or  loin  cloth,  on  his  body,  and  a  goat's  hair 
blanket  over  his  head.  I  was  stunned  as  I 
learned  of  the  case.  He  said,  "Papa,  pray 
with  me,  please;"  and  this  I  did. 

Then  he  said:  "I  am  a  prisoner,  kept  in 
a  little  room  all  alone,  and  sleep  on  the 
ground  on  this  blanket.  I  jumped  out  over 
the  wall;  and  now  I  must  return,  or  they 
may  kill  me.  I  am  a  Christian  still,  and 
some  day  I  shall  be  free.  At  present,  it  is 
best  that  I  suffer.  I  will  come  again  when 
I  can." 

I  accompanied  Ralph  to  the  gateway,  saw 
him  wrap  himself  in  the  goat's  hair  blanket 
to  protect  himself  from  detection,  watched 
him  as  he  disappeared  into  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  and  followed  him  in  thought  across 
the  grass  fields,  and  over  the  wall  into  his 
little  prison. 

This  is  the  story  Ralph  told  me  that  night: 
"The  evening  when  we  had  the  special  meet- 
ing at  which  several  Hindus  were  present, 
they  did  not  leave  the  place  until  a  late 
hour;  and  when  they  did,  it  was  to  take  me, 


76  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

with  all  my  things,  put  me  in  a  cart,  and 
hasten  over  and  down  the  mountain  side  as 
fast  as  they  could,  then  to  the  railway  sta- 
tion and  on  to  Amaroti.  My  people  had  to 
pay  one  hundred  dollars  [a  very  large  sum 
for  poor  people  in  India]  to  keep  in  caste 
themselves.  They  were  regarded  as  defiled 
for  harboring  a  son  who  had  become  a  Chris- 
tian. Not  only  so,  but  they  have  purified 
me  according  to  their  custom,  and  taken  me 
back  into  caste,  and  now  they  regard  me  as 
a  Hindu,  again.  Of  course,  I  am  not.  I 
am  just  as  much  a  Christian  now  as  I  was 
before,  and  they  will  know  it  some  day." 

"What  did  they  do  to  'purify'  you,  as 
they  say?"  I  asked. 

"Well,  papa,  they  called  all  our  caste  peo- 
ple of  that  town  together,  among  whom  were 
the  parents  and  relatives  of  the  girl  they 
intended  me  to  marry.  Then  they  had  a 
barber  come  and  shave  me  all  over  from 
head  to  foot.  It  was  an  awful  process. 
Then  they  made  a  big  fire  of  cornstalks,  and 
made  me  run  through  that  fire.  Then  they 
gave  me  a  bath,  after  which  they  put  all  my 
clothes  in  the  fire  and  destroyed  them,  and 
supplied  me  with  new  garments.  They  had 
brought  flour,  and  quantities  of  other  food, 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  77 

all  prepared.  By  and  by  all  present  sat 
down,  and  I  had  to  serve  them  to  show  them 
that  I  was  clean,  and  that  they  could  eat 
from  my  hands  and  from  the  hands  of  my 
people.  They  forced  me  to  obey;  and  what 
could  I  do  in  all  that  crowd  of  people?  But 
some  day  it  will  all  be  over,  and  they  will 
see  how  useless  was   all   this   ceremony." 

PRAYER   AND    MEDITATION 

In  this  experience  of  Ralph's,  you  will  get 
a  glimpse  of  what  some  must  go  through 
in  order  to  serve  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 
From  that  night,  I  felt  sure  that  Ralph 
would  never  recant;  but  as  long  as  he  had 
no  permanent  residence  in  any  other  town, 
it  was  best  to  be  silent  and  suffer  as  a  Chris- 
tian. It  had  taken  years  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion for  the  faith  of  this  one  young  man, 
and  we  did  not  believe  that  it  could  be 
easily  overthrown. 

After  that  first  visit,  Ralph  often  called 
in  the  darkness  of  the  midnight  hours  to  see 
me,  and  I  always  arose  and  welcomed  him. 
Each  time,  he  had  a  new  story  to  relate.  He 
was  not  permitted  to  read  the  Bible  or  any 
of  our  literature,  so  he  spent  most  of  his 
time  in  prayer  and  meditation.     They  still 


78  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

kept  him  shut  up  at  night,  and  did  not  al- 
low him  to  leave  the  house  alone  during  the 
day.  Little  by  little,  however,  he  regained 
his  accustomed  liberty,  and  by  and  by  came 
to  see  us  openly,  even  in  the  daytime.  After 
a  while,  he  agreed  to  teach  a  school  for  us, 
but  said  he  must  go  back  and  forth. 

A  NEW  DOOR  OPENED 

Finally  we  moved  from  that  town,  and 
so  a  new  door  opened  for  Ralph.  He  went 
with  us,  and  began  to  preach  the  gospel 
with  other  men.  Not  long  after  this,  he 
became  acquainted  with  Bargoo  Bai,  a  young 
woman  who  had  been  trained  in  a  Methodist 
mission  school;  and  of  their  own  choice,  they 
became  engaged  and  were  married.  By  this 
act,  the  die  was  cast  —  the  Hindus  would 
never  want  him  after  that,  and  now  he  was 
a  free  man  forever.  All  their  efforts  to  re- 
instate Ralph  had  been  in  vain;  he  was  a 
Christian  in  heart  and  faith.  While  he  was 
young  in  experience,  and  made  many  mis- 
takes, yet  he  never  denied  Christ,  and  went 
through  more  and  endured  greater  trials  than 
any  other  native  brother  I  have  ever  known 
in  India. 


Saved  After  Ten  Years  79 

For  several  years,  Ralph  and  Bargoo  Bai, 
with  their  little  girl,  have  been  laboring  for 
the  Master  as  best  they  can.  I  think  they 
deserve  our  sympathy  and  earnest  prayers. 
These  two  are  some  of  the  fruit  from  the 
jungles  of  India. 


CHAPTER     IV 


Kasho  —  the  Dreamer 

HREE  of  us  missionaries  had  been 
assigned  to  open  a  new  work  in  Jal- 
gaon  (Firetown),  in  the  Khandesh 
district,  Bombay.  This  is  a  manu- 
facturing district,  the  large  cotton 
factories  giving  employment  to  thousands 
of  persons. 

Jalgaon  is  a  stronghold  of  the  devil.  Idol 
worship  is  carried  on  in  every  street  and 
on  every  corner,  and  money  is  freely  spent 
for  its  maintenance.  In  fact,  it  is  one  of 
the  most  "religious"  towns  we  have  ever 
seen  in  India.  (The  more  religious  they 
are,  the  more  wicked  they  are  likely  to  be- 
come.) One  has  appropriately  said  of  these 
people,  "They  live  religiously,  bathe  reli- 
giously, eat  religiously,  and  sin  religiously." 
A  small  stone  house  of  four  rooms  was 
rented  for  us  to  live  in,  and  a  Mohammedan 
boy  was  employed  as  cook.  Thus  provided 
with  shelter  and  food,  we  set  to  work  on 
the  native  language.  Though  our  house  was 
situated  in  a  very  public  and  noisy  place, 
and  its  low  ceilings  in  that  torrid  atmosphere 

(81) 


82  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

seemed  designed  to  bake  our  heads,  quiet  by 
night  or  comfort  by  day  thus  being  equally 
out  of  the  question,  still  we  thanked  God 
for  the  privilege  of  living  there  and  work- 
ing for  Him. 

In  opening  a  new  work,  it  is  always  a  great 
help  and  pleasure  to  have  a  few  sample  na- 
tive Christians,  so  to  speak,  to  stand  by  and 
testify  to  the  truth  preached.  Often  we 
wished  we  had  one  converted  native  to  speak 
in  his  own  familiar  way  of  Christ,  but  we 
had  no  such  assistance;  the  gospel  had  never 
been  preached  in  Jalgaon,  neither  could  we 
find  one  soul  there  who  had  ever  heard  of 
Christ.  In  spite  of  all  discouragements, 
we  took  pains  to  gain  as  many  friends  as 
possible  among  the  people,  and  succeeded  in 
establishing  several  small  schools  for  their 
children.  The  mission  school  is  the  most 
practical  method  of  reaching  the  heart  of 
India. 

Daily,  too,  we  prayed  that  some  might  be- 
lieve; that  we  might  find,  in  that  dark  place, 
even  one  into  whose  heart  the  light  of  the 
gospel  had  shone. 

About  four  o'clock  one  afternoon,  we  heard 
a  rap  at  the  door,  and  looking  up,  saw  a 
bright-faced,    barefooted    boy    about    fifteen 


Kaslio  —  the  Dreamer  83 

years  old.  He  wore  a  red  cap,  a  white 
shirt,  and  a  dothie,  or  loin  cloth.  We  greeted 
each  other  with  the  beautiful  Eastern  salu- 
tation, "Salaam."  I  asked  his  name,  and  he 
said,  "Kasho." 

"Who  are  you?"  I  asked. 

"Me  Christe  arha"  ("I  am  a  Christian"), 
he  replied. 

Indeed  we  were  glad  to  hear  a  native  say 
that  in  Jalgaon.  We  welcomed  Kasho  into 
our  home;  and  he  sat  down  cross-legged  on 
a  mat,  and  told  us  his  story. 

Kasho  was  born  in  Shegaon,  Central  In- 
dia. His  people  were  well-to-do  farmers, 
deshmooh  by  caste.  He  had  several  brothers 
and  one  sister.  His  parents  had  taught  him 
to  worship  daily  Mahar-Dev,  a  rude  stone 
idol  found  in  nearly  every  village.  For 
several  years,  Kasho  knew  of  no  other  God; 
and  at  first,  he  had  great  respect  for  this 
painted  stone  —  in  fact,  he  was  really  afraid 
of  it.  His  mother  told  him  that  if  at  any 
time  he  offended  this  family  god,  some  great 
calamity  would  surely  overtake  him.  Con- 
sequently, for  several  years,  he  paid  honest 
homage  to  this  heathen  deity,  and  often  re- 
turned from  his  worship  with  a  feeling  of 
satisfaction  that  all  would  go  well  with  him. 


84  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

As  Kasho  grew  older,  doubts  arose  in  his 
mind  as  to  the  power  of  this  huge  stone  to  do 
him  either  good  or  ill.  Thousands  of  men 
keep  up  the  form  of  idol  worship,  when 
they  have  no  faith  in  their  idols.  We  have 
frequently  conversed  with  such.  Not  know- 
ing of  the  true  God,  and  His  Son  Jesus 
Christ,  they  live  and  die  carrying  on  a  form 
of   worship   that    can   never   save    from    sin. 

Kasho  finally  concluded  that  it  was  too 
much  trouble  to  make  daily  trips  to  the  vil- 
lage temple  to  worship  a  lifeless  stone,  and 
little  by  little  he  mustered  courage  to  prove 
Mahar-Dev.  One  day,  filling  his  lota  (brass 
cup)  with  water,  he  sauntered  off  to  the 
temple.  There,  observing  that  he  was  quite 
alone,  he  made  a  big  lump  of  mud,  and 
threw  it  all  over  the  sacred  image;  then,  half 
frightened,  he  ran  home.  For  a  while,  he 
was  fearful  lest  he  should  become  sick,  or 
some  calamity  should  befall  him.  The  head 
man  of  the  village  sought  for  the  offender, 
but  failed  to  find  him. 

When  Kasho  saw  that  he  was  as  well  as 
usual,  his  first  doubts  of  Mahar-Dev  were 
confirmed,  his  faith  in  idolatry  was  shaken, 
and  in  his  own  mind  he  believed  it  false. 
Still  he  knew  of  nothing  better,   for  Chris- 


Kasho  —  the  Dreamer  85 

tians  had  not  told  the  good  news  in  those 
parts;  so,  though  his  heart  was  not  in  it,  he 
continued  the  form  of  worship. 

About  this  time,  a  young  friend  invited 
Kasho  to  accompany  him  to  a  jathra,  or 
fair.  A  native  fair  is  a  curious  place  indeed; 
and  like  all  such  gatherings,  it  possesses  great 
charms  for  a  boy  in  his  teens.  In  one  way, 
a  jathra  is  a  sort  of  native  camp  meeting, 
several  dirty  priests  conducting  a  service  of 
worship  in  honor  of  some  chosen  idol.  This 
may  last  for  one  day,  or  for  many  days,  or 
even  for  months.  Grasping  men,  eager  to 
obtain  the  loose  cash  of  the  people,  frequent 
these  places,  and  side  shows  and  all  sorts  of 
gambling  are  carried  on. 

On  such  occasions,  too,  the  gospel  heralds 
seek  to  proclaim  their  message  among  the 
masses,  singing  and  preaching  the  good  news, 
selling  books.  Bibles,  and  Scripture  por- 
tions, and  scattering  leaflets.  Medical  mis- 
sionaries also  find  all  the  work  they  can 
do;  for  many  sick  folks  manage  to  get  to 
the  jathra  in  hope  of  recovery. 

While  at  a  fair  of  this  kind,  Kasho  for  the 
first  time  saw  a  native  Christian  preacher. 
He  had  never  heard  of  Christ  before,  and 
he  listened  to  the  stranger  with  earnest  at- 


86  Fruit  froiii  the  Jungle 

tent  ion.  Somehow  his  thoughts  went  back 
to   the  village  idol   and  to   his  past   doubts. 

The  speaker,  after  his  address,  distributed 
leaflets  to  his  hearers.  That  is  the  fruit  of 
love  and  generosity,  a  thing  seldom  if  ever 
seen  among  the  heathen.  A  real  Christian 
will  spend  and  be  spent  for  Christ,  and  yearns 
over  others,  that  they  may  know  of  Jesus. 

Kasho  took  a  leaflet.  He  could  not  read 
well,  but  this  simple  story  was  so  fascinating 
that  he  persevered  till  he  had  read  it  all.  It 
made  a  deep  impression  on  him.  As  he  threw 
himself  on  his  mat  on  the  ground  to  sleep 
that  night,  he  carefully  placed  his  leaflet  un- 
der his  head  for  safety,  and,  with  his  mind 
full  of  the  new  things  he  had  heard,  fell 
asleep. 

Suddenly  he  awoke.  He  had  dreamed 
that  a  tall,  white-faced  person,  of  radiant 
countenance,  and  clad  in  glistening  garments, 
stood  before  him,  smiled  gently  upon  him, 
and  said,  ''Marza  marga  yae''  ("Follow 
me").  That  gracious,  tender  smile  touched 
the  lad,  and  he  wept  as  if  his  heart  would 
break.  Only  a  moment  had  the  radiant 
vision  stayed,  then  vanished. 

This  dream  produced  such  a  profound  im- 
pression upon  Kasho  that  he  could  scarcely 


Kaslio  —  the  Dreamer  87 

sleep  for  joy  the  rest  of  that  night.  He 
felt  sure  that  both  the  preacher  and  the 
leaflet  had  described  the  person  of  his  dream. 
The  following  day,  Kasho  heard  more  of 
Christ  through  the  evangelist,  and  was  thrilled 
with  joyful  hope.  He  resolved  to  obey  the 
voice,  "Follow  me,"  and  finally  requested 
the  preacher  to  take  him  to  his  home  and 
teach  him  more.  At  this  time,  he  literally 
forsook  father,  mother,  brother,  sister,  all,  to 
follow  Jesus. 

A  pupil  now  in  Christ's  school,  he  opened 
his  whole  heart  to  the  truth,  believed,  and 
was  saved  through  grace.  Then  he  publicly 
confessed  Christ  in  baptism  and  personal 
testimony,  turning  his  back  upon  all  the 
world  for  his  new-foimd  Friend  and  Saviour, 
following  his  Master  in  the  path  of  obedience 
and  service,  and  remaining  among  Chris- 
tians until  he  was  well  established  in  the 
faith. 

When  Kasho  called  at  our  door,  he  was 
the  only  native  Christian  in  town.  He  was 
working  in  a  cotton  mill,  and  living  by  him- 
self in  one  small  room,  paying  sixteen  cents 
a  month  for  rent,  and  doing  his  own  cook- 
ing and  washing.  Unable  to  find  any  other 
Christians     in    Jalgaon,     he    had     earnestly 


88  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

prayed  for  three  months  that  God  would 
send  workers  there.  "I  prayed,"  he  said, 
"and  God  heard,  and  sent  you  here."  We 
did  not  doubt  his  assertion.  He  believed  in 
the  promise,  "Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive;"  and 
we  rejoiced  that  when  God  called  us  in  the 
homeland,  we  had  obeyed.  Our  hearts  were 
made  happy  to  meet  this  new  brother  of 
ours. 

For  some  time,  Kasho  continued  in  the 
mill,  while  we  tested  him,  and  found  that 
he  was  a  real  Christian. 

As  we  watched  scores  of  naked,  needy 
children  in  the  streets  and  markets  of  Jal- 
gaon,  we  longed  to  gather  them  for  instruc- 
tion in  letters  and  the  truth  of  God.  Kasho 
helped  us  call  them  in;  and  when  we  had  a 
large  room  full,  they  were  organized  into  a 
mission  school.  They  quickly  learned  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  Christian  songs,  and  the  plan 
of  salvation.  He  frequently  assisted  in  the 
preaching  services  in  the  markets  and  vil- 
lages, and  was  always  ready  to  sing,  pray, 
and  testify  how  wonderfully  God  had  saved 
him.  His  life  was  as  consistent  as  any  we 
have  ever  seen  in  Christian  countries. 

My  friends,  here  is  fruit  for  Christ,  picked 
from  the  jungles  of  heathenism.     Who  can 


Kasho  —  the  Dreamer  89 

compute  the  gain  in  the  salvation  of  one 
such  soul?  Through  his  life  and  labors, 
others  accepted  Christ  at  Jalgaon.  The  last 
reports  from  Kasho  showed  that  he  was 
still  pressing  on  in  the  narrow  way,  teach- 
ing in  a  mission  school,  and  acting  the  part 
of  a  true  missionary  to  his  own  people. 

Let  us  earnestly  pray  God  to  raise  up 
thousands  of  such  to  assist  in  establishing 
His  kingdom  in  heathen  lands. 


CHAPTER     V 


Anand  Rao 


HILE  we  were  living  at  Jalgaon,  a 
young  man  clad  in  simple  attire,  and 
carrying  a  staff  and  a  small  parcel, 
called  at  the  mission  house  one  day, 
and  giving  his  name  as  Anand  Rao, 
requested  the  privilege  of  talking  with  the 
missionaries.  We  invited  him  to  remain  a 
few  days  to  study  the  Scripture  with  us, 
and  to  this  he  gladly  consented.  By  caste, 
this  man  was  a  warrior,  or  Rajput. 

Our  first  impressions  of  Anand  Rao  were 
very  favorable.  He  spoke  several  languages, 
English  among  them,  was  self-possessed,  and 
showed,  by  his  intelligent  conversation  on 
different  topics,  that  he  possessed  an  excel- 
lent education.  His  use  of  English  was  so 
fluent  that  we  did  not  speak  with  him  in 
Marathi,  it  being  a  real  pleasure  to  us  to 
use  our  mother  tongue. 

Anand  Rao  seemed  like  a  friend.  He  told 
us  that  he  had  for  some  time  made  a  study 
of  Christianity,  and  had  finally  decided  to 
accept  it.  He  appeared  to  have  saving  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ,  and  this  was  the  absorbing 
(90) 


Anand  Rao 


91 


topic  of  conversation  between  us.  As  we 
became  acquainted,  we  found  that  he  knew 
the  Marathi  language  so  much  better  than  we 
did  that  it  would  be  profitable  to  engage 
his  services  in  some  translating  work  we  had 


Leon,   One  of   Our  Marathi  S. 
D.  A.  Men 


Virgil,    One    of    Our    Marathi 
Colporteurs 


on  hand.  This  we  did,  and  he  proved  a 
valuable  helper.  His  striking  personality 
and  congenial  manners  won  our  hearts,  and 
we  began  to  cherish  bright  hopes  of  his  full 
conversion.     Few  of  our   converts  in   India 


92  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

are  from  the  upper  classes;  consequently 
they  have  not  the  personal  influence  that  a 
man  of  this  sort  would  have.  For  this  reason, 
and  because  of  our  love  for  him,  we  coveted 
this  man  for  the  cause  of  truth  and  right- 
eousness. 

Anand  Rao  always  attended  our  family 
worship  and  cheerfully  took  part  in  it.  He 
seemed  like  a  "babe  in  Christ,"  just  learning 
the  language  of  the  kingdom,  and  expressed 
a  desire  to  delve  into  the  deeper  truths  of 
the  Bible  and   Christian  experience. 

.       WORKING  FOR  OTHERS 

Anand  Rao  had  been  with  us  but  a  short 
time  when  he  began  to  testify  boldly  for 
Christ.  His  arguments  were  strong,  and 
his  faith  was  unshaken.  Soon  he  began  to 
attract  special  attention;  and  night  after 
night,  he  talked  for  hours  to  a  group  of 
young  men,  who  apparently  came  to  over- 
throw his  faith.  However,  he  always  silenced 
his  antagonists,  and  overcame  all  their  argu- 
ments by  the  simple  use  of  the  Scriptures. 
His  countrymen  recognized  his  warrior  spirit 
in  his  manner  as  well  as  his  modes  of  expres- 
sion. His  spirit  was  humble,  yet  he  was  as 
firm  as  a  rock. 


Anand  Rao  93 

Whenever  this  son  of  India  testified  of 
his  love  for  Christ  and  the  gospel,  his  enemies 
were  silenced  and  abashed.  They  had  no 
such  zeal  and  devotion  for  their  false  system 
of  religion,  neither  did  they  find  pleasure  and 
peace  in  the  worship  of  dumb  gods. 

The  news  of  the  conversion  of  Anand  Rao 
to  Christianity  soon  spread  from  Jalgaon  at 
a  rapid  pace.  To  us  the  experience  was  in- 
tensely interesting,  and  nothing  short  of  the 
wonderful  working  of  the  Spirit  of  the  true 
God.  We  hoped  for  great  things  from  the 
life  and  labors  of  this  noble  young  man. 

But  a  silent  voice  seemed  to  say  to  us, 
*'Keep  a  careful  watch  of  him,  lest  the  Hin- 
dus molest  him."  We  had  known  of  the 
conversion  of  several  high-caste  men  in  In- 
dia, and  some  of  them  had  not  been  able 
to  resist  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  against 
them  by  their  Hindu  friends.  You  remem- 
ber that  Paul  the  apostle  was  compelled 
to  leave  his  own  country  after  his  conver- 
sion, and  live  in  seclusion  for  some  time, 
both  for  protection  from  those  who  would 
have  killed  him,  and  for  the  opportunity  to 
become  more  fully  established  in  the  faith. 
In    heathen    lands,    the    enmity    against    the 


94  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

gospel  is  equally  strong,  and  the  danger  is 
great. 

On  a  certain  Friday,  Anand  attended  serv- 
ice as  usual,  and  seemed  happy  and  free. 
We  had  arranged  to  baptize  him  the  follow- 
ing week,  and  were  aware  that  the  feeling 
against  him  in  the  town  was  stronger  than 
ever.  In  fact,  we  felt  the  power  of  the  evil 
one  in  the  very  atmosphere  as  we  passed 
through  the  streets.  The  lowering  faces  of 
some  w^iom  we  met  spoke  to  us,  as  plainly 
as  words,  of  the  hatred  in  their  hearts.  Many 
greeted  us  pleasantly,  and  smiled  when  our 
efforts  seemed  fruitless;  but  as  surely  as 
there  were  evidences  of  our  success,  or  addi- 
tions to  our  converts,  their  attitude  toward 
us  was  changed. 

Two  days  before  Anand  was  to  receive 
Christian  baptism,  he  went  for  his  usual 
afternoon  outing,  taking  with  him  nothing 
but  his  lota  (brass  cup),  not  even  his  sandals. 
Apparently  he  did  not  intend  to  take  a  long 
stroll.  We  missed  him  at  nightfall,  and  be- 
gan to  search  for  him;  but  he  was  nowhere 
to  be  found.  We  knocked  on  his  door,  and 
finally  went  into  his  room.  There  were  his 
books,  Bible,  and  clothing.  But  the  man 
—  where    could   he   be  ?      We   made    careful 


Anand  Rao  95 

inquiries  of  the  neighbors,  but  no  one  had 
seen  him;  every  mouth  was  silent.  Anand 
had  suddenly  disappeared,  and  we  could  find 
no  trace  of  him  whatever.  We  might  have 
notified  the  police;  but  what  use  to  call  for 
them  to  make  a  search  in  such  a  case!  Their 
interest  would  be  to  conceal  his  fate  from 
us.  What  could  we  do?  We  could  only 
pray,  and  leave  the  matter  with  the  One  who 
sees  and  knows  all  things. 

While  we  were  searching  for  Anand,  he 
may  have  been  lying  under  some  tree  in  the 
jungle,  a  martyr  to  his  new-found  faith. 
But  if  he  was  killed,  as  seems  quite  probable, 
we  are  sure  he  sleeps  in  Jesus,  and  will  come 
forth  from  his  unknown  grave  when  Christ 
shall  gather  His  jewels. 

NO   INQUIRIES 

As  time  passed,  we  were  much  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  not  one  person  inquired 
about  the  sudden  departure  of  Anand,  and 
as  suddenly  did  the  young  men  who  had 
visited  the  mission  house  to  converse  with 
him  cease  to  come.  Had  Anand  been  a  low- 
caste  man,  weak  and  ignorant,  he  would 
without  doubt  be  found  in  the  ranks  of  the 
church  to-day. 


96  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

This  tragedy  gives  a  hint  of  what  heathen- 
ism is  in  practical  life,  especially  when  a 
high-caste  man  is  converted.  It  costs  all 
a  man  has,  yea,  even  his  life,  to  follow  Christ 
in  some  lands.  Such  instances  should  nerve 
our  hearts  for  the  battle,  and  call  forth  ar- 
dent petitions  for  the  salvation  of  the  great 
heathen  world. 


CHAPTER     VI 


The  Epistle  of  John 

N  1894,  a  missionary  friend  of  mine 
established  an  orphanage  for  English- 
speaking  children  in  Central  India. 
After  a  while,  he  found  that  he  had 
a  larger  work  there  than  he  was  able 
to  support;  still,  when  the  famine  of  1896 
came  on,  he  was  impressed  to  receive  a 
number  of  purely  native  children,  who  could 
speak  only  the  vernacular.  He  wrote  to 
me,  hoping  that  I  might  relieve  him  of  some 
of  his  famine  boys;  and  I  replied  that  I 
would  receive  all  he  cared  to  send.  Does 
it  not  seem  strange  that  boys  and  girls  are 
so  plentiful  in  heathen  lands  that  they  are 
given  away?    Yet  this  is  frequently  the  case. 

TRAVELING   AVITH    SEVENTEEN    ORPHANS 

At  the  time  referred  to,  I  took  seventeen 
boys  from  this  overcrowded  orphanage.  Such 
a  dilapidated  lot  of  human  beings  you  never 
saw.  Many  of  them  had  sore  eyes,  full  of 
pus.  Their  hair  was  all  crusted  over  with 
sores,  and  most  of  them  were  so  thin  and 
weak  they  could  scarcely  walk.     They  had 

(97) 


98  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

not  been  at  the  first  mission  long  before  we 
took  them;  hence  their  sad  condition.  At 
first,  we  wondered  if  some  of  them  would 
ever  recover,  even  with  the  best  of  care  and 
treatments.  The  question  came  to  us  in  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  "Can  these  bones  live?" 
But  "with  God  all  things  are  ^^ossible,"  and 
"all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth." 
With  these  thoughts  to  encourage  us,  we 
undertook  our  work,  determined  to  do  our 
best  for  these  Hindu  lads. 

How  the  people  stared  and  wondered  as 
we  led  this  motley  crowd  of  seventeen  fam- 
ished youths  into  the  railway  station!  Mis- 
sionaries are  always  collecting  children  from 
various  conditions  in  life;  but  seldom  do 
they  get  such  a  group   as   I  had  that  day. 

The  European  train  guard  —  or  conductor, 
as  we  in  America  call  this  official  —  was  kind 
to  us,  giving  us  a  good-sized  compartment 
to  ourselves.  The  boys  made  no  objections 
to  going  with  me,  an  utter  stranger;  in  fact, 
they  seemed  glad  to  go,  and  really  wanted 
a  place  to  call  home.  This  I  assured  them 
they  would  have,  with  father,  mother,  and 
man^y  friends.  Perhaps,  too,  the  prospect 
of  the  trip  quieted  their  fears.  Our  station 
was    in   the   mountains,    amid    bowlders    and 


John  Wesley  Wood 


Mrs.  John  Wesley  Wood 


Little  Bobbie  Paul  Wood 

Who  Was  Branded 

WITH  Hot  Irons 


(99) 


100  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

wild  forests,  while  these  lads  had  always 
lived  on  the  flat,  dusty  plains;  so  the  thought 
of  the  long  ride  and  the  new  scenes  rather 
inspired  them.  Some  of  them  tried  to  smile 
as  we  talked  with  them,  but  it  was  an  ef- 
fort; their  thin,  emaciated  faces  seemed  al- 
most to  have  lost  the  power  of  smiling. 

The  largest  boy  in  the  group,  though  un- 
doubtedly a  famine  boy,  did  not  seem  so 
bad  off  as  the  others,  and  from  the  first, 
was  round-faced.  This  lad,  whom  we  after- 
ward called  John,  took  charge  of  one  of 
the  smaller  boys,  who  was  hardly  able  to 
walk;  and  another  boy,  whom  we  named 
Frank,    helped    another    weak    little    fellow. 

It  was  almost  noon  when  we  boarded  the 
train;  and  we  reached  our  destination  at 
three  o'clock  the  next  morning,  having  been 
on  the  train  fifteen  hours.  We  sat  up  all 
the  way;  and  I  assure  you  the  boys  were 
tired,  sleepy,  and  cross  when  we  arrived. 
But  John  was  patient,  and  tried  to  help  us 
all  he  could  by  caring  for  the  smaller  ones. 
I  can  hear  him  now  as  he  called  out,  ''C hullo! 
Chullor  ("Go  on!  Go  on!")  to  the  boys  that 
night  as  we  left  the  train  and  station. 

We  soon  climbed  the  short  hill  leading  to 
the  mission  house,  where  friends  were  wait- 


The  Epistle  of  John  101 

ing  to  welcome  us.  The  boys'  dormitory, 
consisting  of  two  rooms,  had  been  made  as 
comfortable  as  possible  for  their  coming; 
and  after  greeting  our  friends,  I  led  the  lads 
to  their  new  quarters,  and  bade  them  sleep 
as  long  as  they  desired.  I  had  determined 
to  take  such  a  rest  myself,  and  thought  they 
too  might   appreciate   the   privilege. 

JOHN   GIVES   HIS   HEART   TO   JESUS 

For  the  present,  we  must  leave  sixteen 
of  these  boys,  and  tell  you  something  of 
John.  Several  months  after  he  came  to  our 
home,  we  had  some  special  meetings,  when 
most  of  these  boys  gave  their  hearts  to  Christ. 
Many  of  them  would  speak  or  pray,  and 
were  a  help  in  our  meetings;  but  John  al- 
ways sat  in  one  of  the  back  seats,  and  never 
gave  any  particular  indication  of  interest. 
One  night,  after  the  meeting  was  over,  I 
called  him  aside,  and  said:  "John,  I  feel 
bad  about  you.  The  other  lads  are  accept- 
ing Christ,  but  you  do  not  seem  to  care 
about  Him.  I  think  you  are  making  a 
serious   mistake." 

His  heart  melted  completely  at  these  words, 
and  he  assured  me,  with  tears,  that  he  did 
want    to   be    a   good   boy,    and   would    take 


102  Fruit  fi'om  the  Jungle 

the  step  the  others  had  taken,  and  give  his 
heart  to  Christ.  How  glad  I  was  to  pray 
with  him  that  night! 

WANTED  AN  EASY  JOB 

John  was  older  than  the  other  boys,  so 
it  frequently  happened  that  he  had  more 
than  his  share  of  the  work  to  do,  while 
the  younger  boys  were  often  at  his  side  for 
help  and  comfort.  One  day,  I  took  him  to 
the  vegetable  market  to  help  bring  supplies 
home  in  a  basket,  while  other  boys  were 
picking  up  stones  near  a  well  that  had  been 
blasted  out.  On  the  way  to  the  market, 
John  stepped  close  to  my  side,  and  said: 
"Sir,  I  want  to  make  one  request.  I  do 
not  like  hard  work.  Will  you  please  let  me 
always  go  to  the  market  with  you,  and  let 
the  other  boys  do  the  hard  work?" 

It  was  amusing,  to  say  the  least;  but  of 
course  I  did  not  accede  to  the  lad's  request. 
Though  I  could  not  but  admire  his  honesty, 
I  gently  remonstrated  with  him  for  his  dis- 
like of  hard  work;  and  after  that,  I  was 
always  careful  to  give  him  plenty  to  do,  at 
the  same  time  trying  to  encourage  him  in 
whatever  would  be  helpful  to  him  as  a  man. 
He   was   so   faithful   in   the   duties   assigned 


The  Epistle  of  John  103 

him,  that  finally  we  made  him  overseer  among 
the  boys  in  our  absence;  and  we  found  that 
he  insisted  that  each  one  do  his  work  exactly 
right.  He  was  not  a  talkative  lad,  like  some 
of  the  others.  Frequently  those  who  talk 
most  accomplish  least. 

John's  early  childhood 

We  always  make  it  a  point  to  learn  all 
we  can  about  the  past  lives  of  our  people, 
as  in  this  way  we  are  better  prepared  to 
deal  with  the  natives  who  come  to  us  from 
heathenism.  So,  as  John  grew  older,  he 
gradually  unfolded  to  me  much  of  his  past 
history.  Few  of  those  who  read  these  pages 
will  ever  have  the  pleasure  of  talking  to  a 
Hindu  youth  about  his  past  life,  so  I  will 
tell  you  some  of  John's  experiences.  They 
will  give  you  just  a  glimpse  into  the  dark- 
ness of  the  Hindu  faith;  but  they  should  stir 
our  hearts  to  do  greater  things  for  these  be- 
wildered, lost  souls. 

When  John  was  a  little  boy,  he  lived  in 
a  small  village  out  in  the  jungles  of  Central 
India,  and  often  herded  cattle,  goats,  and 
sheep  for  the  Parteil,  or  head  man  of  the 
village.  He  was  not  a  strong  lad;  and  one 
day  he  fell  quite  sick,  and  his  parents  thought 


104  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

he  might  not  recover.  His  poor  old  grand- 
mother was  very  fond  of  him;  so  she  made 
a  vow  to  her  idols  that  if  John  should  re- 
cover, she  would  make  a  sacrifice  to  them. 
I  have  already  told  you  how  pleased  Kali 
(the  black  goddess)  is  with  certain  kinds  of 
sacrifices.  It  may  have  been  to  this  hor- 
rible creature  that  the  terrorized  old  woman 
made  her  vow. 

The  heathen  have  an  idea  that  their  gods 
become  very  angry  with  them,  and  that  cer- 
tain things  will  appease  their  wrath.  They 
seldom  think  of  their  sins,  or  of  their  need 
of  a  change  of  heart  and  life.  At  that 
time,  John  knew  of  his  grandmother's  vow, 
and,  of  course,  thought  it  all  right.  He  did 
not  know  of  any  other  religion,  and  con- 
sequently believed  that  whatever  his  people 
did  must  be  right.  Children  are  not  born 
heathen- —  they  are  made  heathen  by  false 
precept  and  evil  example. 

John  had  seldom  if  ever  seen  a  European, 
and  knew  nothing  of  the  God  of  the  white 
man.  Although  his  grandmother  was  a  very 
superstitious  old  creature,  still  he  was  fond 
of  her;  for  it  is  true,  though  we  sometimes 
forget   it,   that   the   heathen   have   the   same 


The  Epistle  of  John  105 

natural  affections  and  susceptibilities  that 
more  enlightened  peoples  have. 

After  a  time,  John  grew  to  be  a  strong, 
healthy  lad,  and  had  completely  forgotten 
his  grandmother's  vow  to  her  gods.  Chil- 
dren do  not  usually  think  much  about  such 
things.  One  day,  to  his  astonishment,  the 
old  woman  called  him  into  the  little  mud 
house  in  which  thej^  lived,  and  told  him  that 
she  had  decided  to  pay  her  vow  to  the  idol. 
Then  she  took  a  knife,  and  made  a  small, 
round  hole  in  each  of  John's  wrists,  squeezed 
the  wounds,  and  gathered  up  the  blood  on 
cotton,  to  offer  in  sacrifice  to  the  idol.  I 
have  seen  the  scars  many  times. 

It  was  not  long  till  John  became  so  faint 
and  weak  that  the  old  woman  was  alarmed, 
and  tied  strings  about  his.  wrists  to  stop  the 
flow  of  blood.  But  his  condition  was  serious: 
a  little  more,  and  he  would  probably  have 
bled  to  death.  When  his  grandmother  saw 
that  he  was  sinking  fast,  she  ran  to  a  cow, — 
the  cow  is  sacred  to  a  Hindu, —  quickly  made 
a  gash  in  its  body,  drew  out  a  quantity  of 
blood,  and  tried,  in  her  stupid  way,  to  in- 
ject cow's  blood  into  his  veins.  Of  course 
she   failed.      John   was    frail   and   weak    for 


106  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

some  time,  and  it  was  only  with  great  care 
that  he   was   restored  to  his   former  health. 

I  could  scarcely  believe  such  a  thing  pos- 
sible; but  the  boy  has  related  it  so  many 
times  to  me  and  others,  that  I  cannot  doubt 
his  word.  This  is  but  a  glimpse  into  the 
heathen  influences  and  practices  that  sur- 
round the  youth  of  India. 

Herding  cattle  was  tiresome  work,  so  one 
day  John  lay  down  in  the  road  to  sleep. 
After  dark,  an  oxcart  was  driven  along  the 
road  where  he  was  sleeping,  and  one  of  the 
wheels  passed  over  his  legs,  breaking  both 
of  them.  He  screamed  in  agony.  The  cart- 
man  stopped,  picked  him  up,  placed  him  in 
the  cart,  and  drove  to  the  hospital.  For  a 
year,  John  was  an  invalid,  and  scarcely  able 
to  hobble  about  on  sticks.  During  this  last 
sad  experience,  he  began  to  meditate  upon 
the  realities  of  life;  for  life  had  become  to 
him  a  reality  indeed. 

A   HUMAN    SACRIFICE 

John  told  of  another  strange  incident  that 
took  place  in  his  heathen  village,  and  that 
evidently  made  a  lasting  impression  on  his 
mind.  Heavy  rainstorms  frequently  swept 
down  the  valley  in  which  this  village  stood, 


(107) 


108  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

doing  much  damage,  and  often  carrying 
whole  villages  downstream.  These  houses 
are  only  made  of  mud  and  straw;  so  it  would 
not  take  long,  if  the  water  rose,  to  over- 
throw many  of  them. 

On  a  certain  day,  the  farmers  had  watched 
the  heavy,  dark  clouds  gathering  in  the  dis- 
tance above  the  village.  As  nearly  as  they 
could  tell,  the  storm  was  headed  toward 
them.  What  should  they  do?  The  black 
clouds  leading  the  storm  had  the  appearance 
of  a  tornado;  and  for  a  while,  everybody 
was  greatly  excited.  Finally  the  people  be- 
came desperate,  and  offered  a  reward  of  grain 
and  money  to  the  man  who  could  appease 
the  wrath  of  their  gods  and  avert  the  on- 
coming storm. 

There  was  no  time  to  waste,  and  whatever 
was  done  must  be  done  quickly.  One  of  the 
villagers,  a  barber  by  occupation  and  caste, 
perhaps  more  superstitious  than  some  others, 
volunteered  to  accept  the  offer,  and  to  avert 
the  wrath  of  the  gods  in  the  tempest.  The 
barber  called  his  wife  and  little  girl  onto 
the  flat  roof  of  their  mud  house  to  get  a 
better  view  of  the  situation,  and  to  do  obei- 
sance to  their  idols,  which  are  frequently 
kept  on  the  top  of  the  house.    They  probably 


The  Epistle  of  John  109 

took  rice  and  coconuts  to  offer  in  worship, 
according  to  their  custom. 

During  their  devotions,  as  the  storm  kept 
bearing  down  in  their  direction,  they  began 
beating  their  breasts,  pulling  their  hair,  etc. 
The  gods  must  be  very  angrj^  thought  they. 
What  could  they  do?  They  had  accepted 
the  offer  of  a  reward  to  stop  the  storm,  and 
now  they  must  not  be  defeated.  In  their 
frenzy,  they  took  their  little  girl,  the  father 
holding  one  part  of  the  child,  and  the  mother 
the  other,  and  with  a  corn  knife  they  cut 
her  body  in  two  pieces  to  sacrifice  to  their 
dumb  idols.  Horrid  gods  and  horrid  be- 
lief! Murder  to  please  the  folly  of  men! 
Millions  of  lives  have  been  sacrificed  in  the 
past  in  just  this  way. 

Strange  to  say,  the  storm  passed  to  one 
side,  and  did  not  reach  the  village.  Of 
course,  the  people  declared  that  the  human 
sacrifice  caused  it  to  pass  by,  and  the  barber 
received  the  money  and  the  grain,  and  the 
heathen  of  the  place  became  more  confirmed 
than  ever  in  their  folly  and  superstition. 

John  said  that  a  very  strange  sensation 
came  over  him  when  the  child  was  sacrificed 
in  worship.  He  could  not  forget  the  im- 
pression made  on  his  mind  when  he  was  but 


110  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

a  small  lad  amid  such  awful  surroundings. 
Were  it  not  for  the  iron  hand  of  the  govern- 
ment, the  Hindus  would  still  offer  human 
lives  to  their  gods. 

With  what  curiosity  John  must  have 
watched  the  people  of  another  manner  and 
another  religion!  But  how  glad  he  must 
have  felt  when  he  learned  that  they  did  not 
worship  idols  nor  offer  bloody  sacrifices! 
After  being  with  us  for  a  few  years,  he  had 
the  pleasure  of  a  trip  to  America  to  assist 
in  meetings,  and  frequently  related  before 
large  audiences  his  varied  experiences.  While 
here,  he  made  many  friends  and  did  much 
good  work.  Afterward  he  married  a  Chris- 
tian girl,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has 
had  employment  in  a  government  office  in 
India  as  a  clerk.  He  is  the  father  of  two 
sons.  Can  you  imagine  how  different  his 
present  life  would  have  been  had  he  not 
providentially  fallen  into  the  hands  of  God's 
servants  ? 


CHAPTER     VII 


Snakes  in  India 

HEN  talking  on  India,  I  am  fre- 
quently requested  to  tell  something 
about  the  animals  and  reptiles  of 
that  country.  What  is  related  in 
this  chapter  is  largely  based  on  per- 
sonal observation.  One  time  when  we  were 
living  in  Central  India,  I  was  sitting  in 
the  office  about  midnight,  at  work  on  some 
Bible  lessons.  It  was  the  time  of  the  mon- 
soon rains  —  just  the  time  for  reptiles  to 
seek  a  place  of  shelter  from  the  chill  and 
dampness  outside.  Several  times  I  heard  a 
strange  noise  above  my  head,  and  looked 
up,  but  saw  nothing  unusual.  Then  I  heard 
a  hissing  in  the  transom  window.  I  was 
now  suspicious  of  danger,  and  could  not 
rest  till  I  had  found  what  this  strange  noise 
meant;  so  I  took  the  lamp  and  began  a 
search. 

In  a  moment,  I  found  in  the  window  seat, 
only  two  feet  above  my  head,  a  very  poison- 
ous fellow  about  two  feet  long,  and  quickly 
smashed  his  head  with  my  cane,  grateful 
that    I    had    discovered    him   before    he    had 

(111) 
8 


112  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

fallen  on  me.  By  the  way,  that  is  one 
reason  why  both  ladies  and  gentlemen  usu- 
ally carry  canes  wherever  they  go  in  India. 
There  are  so  many  snakes  and  other  reptiles, 
so  many  dogs  and  wild  animals,  that  it  is 
wise  to  have  some  weapon  of  defense. 

IN  HOUSE^  TREE^  AND  FIELD 

Not  feeling  well  one  evening,  I  returned 
home  early.  My  wife  had  been  out  that 
evening  to  visit  a  sick  patient,  and  returned 
rather  late.  As  she  closed  the  outside  door, 
suddenly  an  awful  hissing  was  set  up,  and 
a  scream  fully  awakened  me  from  my 
slumbers. 

"Come  quick!  Quick!"  Mrs.  Wood  called; 
and  springing  out  of  bed,  I  turned  up  the 
lamp  in  the  corner,  and  ran  toward  the 
door. 

A  large  snake,  which  evidently  had  been 
dozing  on  the  top  of  the  double  door,  had 
been  caught  between  its  two  leaves  as  the 
door  was  closed.  Half  of  his  body  was 
outside,  and  the  other  half  inside.  Of  course, 
he  was  angry  in  his  intense  agony.  My 
wife  held  the  door  with  her  hand  just  a  few 
inches  beyond  the  reach  of  the  poisonous 
creature.      I    never    saw    a    snake    strike    at 


Snake  Charmers  Showing  Their  Tricks 


(113) 


114  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

any  one  as  he  did,  but  he  could  not  get  close 
enough  to  reach  the  hand  that  held  the  door. 
I  seized  a  shoe  for  a  "war  club,"  and  made 
short  work  of  the  reptile,  and  together  we 
thanked   God   for   deliverance. 

One  afternoon,  I  walked  from  the  mission 
bungalow  to  the  public  road.  Near  the  front 
gate  stood  a  large  shade  tree.  Its  leaves  had 
been  well  washed  from  all  dust  by  recent 
rains,  and,  being  young  and  tender,  were  a 
bright  green.  Just  as  I  was  about  to  open 
the  gate  of  the  compound,  I  saw  a  snake 
as  green  as  the  leaves  on  the  tree,  and  nearly 
six  feet  long.  He  had  twisted  his  tail  about 
one  of  the  limbs,  and  hung  there,  ready  to 
strike  at  anything  that  came  in  his  way.  I 
got  a  long  pole  and  soon  disposed  of  him. 
This  was  a  whip  snake,  which  usually  hangs 
from  the  limbs  of  trees  and  strikes  at  his 
prey. 

One  Sunday  afternoon,  when  I  was  ready 
to  go  to  the  bazaar  for  our  regular  preach- 
ing service,  I  called  our  native  helpers,  and 
started  on  ahead,  expecting  the  others  to 
follow.  Just  then  our  Bible  woman  ran  to 
me  to  say  that  her  little  boy  had  been  bitten 
by  a  snake  in  the  yard,  and  that  he  was 
suffering  great  pain.     We  used  what  reme- 


Snakes  in  India  115 

dies  we  had  to  counteract  poison,  and  prayed 
for  the  little  fellow.  He  recovered;  but  for 
a  number  of  days,  he  was  dull  and  stupid, 
and  his  body  was  badly  swollen. 

On  another  occasion,  I  went  for  a  walk 
with  two  young  men.  It  was  just  about 
sundown.  We  had  not  gone  far  when  a 
huge  cobra  crossed  the  road  in  front  of  us, 
and  made  for  the  fields,  we  after  him.  There 
were  no  stones  at  hand,  only  lumps  of  dry 
earth.  We  threw  those,  but  of  course  they 
only  enraged  him.  Several  times  he  turned, 
raised  his  head,  and  darted  toward  us;  but 
we  managed  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance.  Then 
a  man  with  a  cartload  of  wood  came  along; 
so  we  quickly  got  a  long  stick  and  threw  it 
at  the  snake,  which  was  making  for  a  large 
banyan  tree  in  the  middle  of  the  field.  Just 
as  he  reached  the  tree,  he  turned  and  leaped 
after  us;  but  we  stood  our  ground,  and 
threw  the  club  at  him  until  a  blow  wounded 
and  crippled  him,  and  we  could  come  near 
enough  to  kill  him. 

The  cobra,  a  very  common  pest  in  India, 
is  the  most  poisonous  of  all  snakes.  It  has 
on  the  back  of  its  neck  a  mark  like  the  letter 
V,  and  has  a  way  of  spreading  out  its  body 
near  the  neck  in  an  oval  shape.    This  is  called 


116  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

its  hood.  When  about  to  strike,  it  coils  up 
the  end  of  its  tail  as  a  support,  and  leaps 
forward.  In  spite  of  its  deadly  character, 
the  cobra  is  regarded  as  sacred.  The  super- 
stitious Hindus  worship  it  and  feed  it  on 
milk  and  sugar.  No  wonder  there  are  so 
many  of  these  creatures  still  in  existence,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  government  offers 
a  substantial  reward  for  every  cobra  that 
is  killed. 


^^NAG    PANCH    me"" 


During  the  famine  of  1900,  a  native  priest 
had  a  dream  that  if  he  would  pull  down  the 
house  in  which  he  was  sleeping,  and  dig  for 
a  well  in  that  very  spot,  he  would  find  not 
only  water,  but  plenty  of  it.  Accordingly 
the  house  was  pulled  down,  a  well  was  dug, 
and,  strangely  enough,  water  was  found. 
But  what  pleased  the  native  people  as  much 
as  the  water  was  that  in  the  process  of 
digging  the  well,  a  pair  of  cobras  were  found 
in  their  nest.  Doubtless  some  day  that  well 
will  be  regarded  as  a  very  holy  spot  because 
of  the  presence  of  the  cobras. 

The  snake  is  one  of  the  thirty-three  million 
gods  of  the  Hindus,  and  its  worship  is  a  form 
of  devil  worship.     A  special  snake  feast  is 


Snakes  in  India 


117 


held  on  a  day  called  Nag  jmncJi  me.  Many 
natives  have  been  killed  while  worshiping 
these  creatures.  May  God  speed  the  day 
when  India  shall  be  free  from  Satan's  power. 

THE  ROPE  THAT   WAS  A  SNAKE 

One  evening,  our  three  children  had  been 
playing    for    an    hour    or    so    on    the    board 


A  Boa  Constrictor,  Which 
Crushes  the  Life  Out  of  Its 
Victim  Before  Swallowing  It 


A  Cobra 


where  we  stood  for  shower  baths  in  the  bath- 
room. By  and  by  they  became  tired  of 
their  toys,  and  left  them  there.  One  of  our 
orphan  girls,  Mary  by  name,  passed  the 
open  bathroom  door  for  the  purpose  of  water- 
ing some  plants  near  by.  Suddenly  she 
ran  to  my  wife,  and  exclaimed,  "Oh,  mamma, 


118  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

sarp,  sarp!  Narg,  nargT  (Sarp  is  ''snake," 
and  narg  means  "cobra.")  My  wife  re- 
plied, "Oh,  no!  It's  only  a  rope.  I  saw 
it  to-day."  But  Mary  looked  again,  and 
insisted  that  it  truly  was  a  cobra.  Investi- 
gation proved  that  a  large  cobra  was  coiled 
up  under  the  bath  board,'  just  where  the 
three  children  had  spent  an  hour  or  so  in 
play.  A  native  was  called,  and  soon  he  dis- 
patched the  monster  with  a  stout  club. 

A"  SNAKE    IN    HIS    HAT 

At  another  time,  we  were  stopping  at  one 
of  the  mission  stations  while  the  missionary 
in  charge  was  absent  on  a  tour  among  the 
villages.  One  day,  he  wrote  us  that  early 
in  the  morning,  he  had  placed  a  large  "solar 
hat"  on  his  head  to  protect  him  from  the 
sun,  and  he  had  been  out  all  the  forenoon 
preaching  and  distributing  tracts.  At  about 
eleven  o'clock,  he  went  into  his  tent,  and  sat 
down  to  wait  for  breakfast.  Once  or  twice 
he  scratched  his  head  rather  unconsciously; 
then  he  felt  impressed  to  take  his  hat  off 
and  look  inside.  There  in  the  top  of  it  was 
a  long,  slender  snake,  coiled  around  inside 
the  lining.  Much  to  his  satisfaction,  and 
not  without  a  due  sense  of  God's  protecting 


Snakes  in  India  119 

care,  he  succeeded  in  pulling  it  out  and  kill- 
ing it  without  harm  to  himself. 

This  same  gentleman  told  me  of  an  official 
who  was  once  awakened  in  the  night  by  a 
sense  of  weight  on  his  chest,  and  called  to  a 
manservant  who  slept  on  the  veranda,  just 
outside  his  door.  The  servant  sprang  into 
the  room,  and  turned  up  the  light,  which 
was  burning  low  on  the  dresser,  just  in  time 
to  see  a  long  black  cobra  glide  off  his  master's 
chest  onto  the  bed  and  then  to  the  floor. 
The  call,  the  noise,  and  the  light  aroused  the 
creature,  and  he  sought  safer  quarters.  His 
flight  was  arrested  by  a  shot  from  a  gun. 
It  was  the  middle  of  the  cold  season;  and 
the  snake,  seeking  a  dry,  warm  place,  found 
on  the  officer's  bedclothes  and  chest  one  that 
just  suited  him.  Fortunately  the  unusual 
weight  aroused  the  man  in  time. 

ONE    SNAKE    SWALLOWING    ANOTHER 

One  morning,  a  friend  of  mine  saw  a 
curious  sight.  One  cobra  had  nearly  swal- 
lowed another,  much  larger  than  himself, 
and  in  the  cannibalistic  act,  had  been  caught 
and  slain.     It  was  a  cobra  eating  cobra. 

I  have  seen  as  many  as  six  or  eight  snakes 
in  the  course  of  a  short  walk.     One  day,  I 


120  Fi^nit  from  the  Jungle 

wanted  a  drink  from  the  black  water  jar  in 
which  our  drinking  water  was  kept  in  the 
breeze  on  the  front  veranda.  I  took  a  glass- 
ful from  the  jar,  and  stood  there  drinking, 
when,  to  my  amazement,  Mr.  Snake  poked 
up  his  black  head  from  the  mouth  of  the 
jar  from  which  I  had  just  filled  my  glass. 
I  called  the  native  cook  to  see,  and  he  took 
up  the  jar,  and  let  it  fall  with  a  crash,  when 
out  fell  a  snake  over  five  feet  long. 

A  COBRA  AT  A  FUNERAL 

On  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  one  of 
our  orphan  boys  during  the  hot  season,  about 
forty  native  Christians  accompanied  us  to 
the  jungles  for  the  burial  service.  It  was 
about  11  a.  m.  The  grave  was  ready,  and 
the  service  was  nearly  over,  the  funeral  group 
sitting  quietly  at  one  side.  I  stood  at  one 
end  of  the  grave,  looking  toward  the  people. 
In  the  midst  of  this  solemn  gathering,  im- 
agine my  consternation  to  hear  Paul,  one 
of  the  native  boys,  scream,  ''Sarp!  SarpT 
and  to  see  a  huge  cobra  glide  out  under 
the  boy's  legs,  make  straight  for  the  grave, 
and  fall  in!  For  a  moment,  it  was  quiet; 
then  as  we  tried  to  kill  it,  it  jumped,  or 
rather  danced,  on  its  tail  from  one  end  of 


(121) 


122  Fruit  froin  the  Jungle 

the  grave  to  the  other.  At  last,  with  one 
desperate  leap,  it  landed  outside.  The  fu- 
neral was  forgotten  for  a  few  moments,  and 
a  crowd  with  pick,  hoe,  and  ax  pursued  and 
killed  the  snake. 

The  natives  at  the  funeral  had  a  strange 
superstition  about  this  cobra.  They  declared 
that  it  was  a  representation  of  Satan;  that 
the  snake  was  born  at  the  time  this  boy 
who  had  died  was  born;  and  now  both  must 
die  at  the  same  time. 

We  knew  of  one  native  woman  who  had 
an  enemy  on  whom  she  sought  revenge.  She 
took  the  skin  of  a  poisonous  snake,  dried  it 
well,  pulverized  it,  mixed  it  in  flour,  and 
made  bread  of  the  flour.  Then  she  made  a 
feast,  and  called  her  enemy,  pretending  she 
wanted  to  be  at  peace.  The  enemy  ate 
the  bread,  and  soon  died  in  great  pain.  Her 
body  was  swollen  to  an  enormous  size,  and 
turned  a  horrid  black. 

It  is  a  common  thing  to  find  snakes  in 
our  homes.  Many  have  been  killed  in  my 
own.  When  a  high-caste  native  discovers 
a  snake  in  his  house,  he  does  not  destroy  it, 
but  very  carefully  entraps  it,  as  we  catch 
mice  and  rats,  then  lets  it  loose  in  the  open 
fields,  whence  it  often  returns  to  the  haunts 


Snakes  in  India  123 

of  men,  perhaps  to  do  much  harm.  Some 
of  the  smaller  snakes,  such  as  the  ''carpet 
snake,"  are  very  poisonous,  and  do  a  great 
deal  of  damage.  There  are  also  many  non- 
venomous  snakes  of  the  Python  variety,  such 
as  boa  constrictors,  anacondas,  rock  snakes, 
and  others,  often  measuring  twenty  feet  in 
length,  which  are  a  nuisance  to  the  country. 
A  certain  class  of  men  known  as  acrobats 
roam  about  the  country  with  bags  of  cobras 
and  other  snakes.  It  is  said  that  the  fangs 
of  these  snakes  are  drawn,  and  the  poison 
is  extracted,  making  them  harmless.  But  the 
sight  of  several  of  them  rolling  about  in  all 
directions  makes  a  person  shudder.  I  once 
saw  one  of  these  snake  charmers  pass  a  small 
snake  up  one  nostril  and  down  through  his 
mouth  and  so  out.  Many  other  horribly 
repulsive  things  they  do. 

VICTIMS  OF  THE  JUNGLE 

The  statistical  reports  of  India  say  that 
thousands  of  persons  die  each  year  from 
the  bites  of  reptiles.  As  long  as  these  people 
remain  heathen,  they  will  worship  and  foster 
these  creatures,  which  will  continue  to  cause 
the  death  of  thousands  of  their  devotees.  If 
India    were    Christianized,    and    this    super- 


124  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

stition,  with  others,  were  done  away,  the 
snake  would  become  largely  a  thing  of  the 
past.  The  following  government  report  is 
amazing,  to  say  the  least: 

"The  deaths  caused  by  wild  animals  in 
India  continue  to  reach  a  high  total.  The 
total  reached  in  1906  was  3,084  as  against 
2,051  in  1905.  Wolves  are  reported  to  have 
killed  178  persons  in  the  United  Provinces. 
Tigers  killed  a  larger  number  of  persons 
than  in  1905  in  Madras,  Bombay,  the  United 
Provinces,  and  Burma,  and  steps  have  been 
taken  for  the  destruction  of  man-eating  tigers 
in  these  provinces.  Elephants  killed  18  per- 
sons in  Bengal.  The  appalling  number  of 
deaths  through  snake-bite  for  1906  was  32,- 
854,  as  against  21,797  in  1905." 
A  later  report  gives  the  following: 
"Simla,  October,  1913:  Although  the  march 
of  civilization  may  be  gradually  exterminat- 
ing the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest,  the  loss  of 
human  life  from  the  ravages  of  wild  animals 
in  India  shows  no  signs  of  diminishing. 
Reports  received  from  various  local  govern- 
ments and  administrations  show  that  2,066 
persons  were  killed  by  wild  animals  in 
British  India  during  the  year  1912.  Al- 
though this  figure  is  somewhat  in  excess  of 


Snakes  in  India  125 

that  reported  for  1911,  it  compares  favorably 
with  the  statistics  for  each  of  the  three 
preceding  years. 

"Tigers  as  usual  claimed  the  largest  num- 
ber of  victims,  and  the  number  of  persons 
killed  by  them  rose  from  762  in  1911  to  885 
in  1912.  Of  these,  no  fewer  than  396  per- 
sons were  killed  in  Bihar  and  Orissa,  all 
but  9  of  whom  were  inhabitants  of  the  Chota 
Nagpur  and  Orissa  divisions.  It  is  notice- 
able that  in  the  United  Provinces,  the  num- 
ber of  deaths  caused  by  tigers  rose  from 
18  in  1910  to  36  in  1911  and  to  71  in  1912. 
Of  these  71  deaths,  61  occurred  in  two  dis- 
tricts, Naini  Tal  and  Almora.  In  the  former 
district,  a  single  man-eater  is  regarded  as 
responsible  for  some  41  deaths;  and  although 
a  special  reward  of  1,500  rupees  ($500)  had 
been  offered  for  its  destruction,  it  was  still 
at  large  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

"Leopards  caused  a  total  number  of  261 
deaths  against  253  in  1911,  while  the  number 
of  persons  killed  by  wolves  rose  from  190 
to  255.  Of  the  255  deaths  for  which  the 
latter  animals  were  responsible,  197  occurred 
in  Bihar  and  Orissa,  mostly  in  the  Hazari- 
bagh  and  Darbhanga  districts.  The  total 
mortality   due   to   snake-bite    among   human 


126  Fimit  from  the  Jungle 

beings  fell  from  25,312  in  1911  to  21,461  in 
1912.  Bihar  and  Orissa  with  5,810,  the 
United  Provinces  with  5,214,  and  Bengal 
with  4,471  deaths  were  the  provinces  which 
suffered  most  severely  in  this  respect." 


CHAPTER     VIII 

T 


Casting  Out  Devils 

HE  people  of  India  believe  in  evil 
spirits,  and  that  these  take  posses- 
sion of  persons,  animals,  and  places. 
JNIany  cases  of  this  kind  have  come 
under  my  own  observation.  It  is  too 
hot  in  India  to  preach  in  public  places  in 
the  middle  of  the  day;  so  mornings  and 
evenings  are  usually  the  times  the  missionary 
may  be  found  working  among  the  people, 
telling  them  the  grand  old  gospel  story.  His 
constant  motto  is: 

"I  love  to  tell  the  story; 

'Tis   pleasant  to   repeat 
What  seems,  each  time  I  tell  it, 

More  wonderfully  sweet. 
I  love  to  tell  the  story; 

For  some  have  never  heard 
The  message  of  salvation 

From  God's  own  holy  word." 

With  Bible  and  songbook,  in  the  cool  of 
the  afternoon,  I  one  day  passed  through  the 
narrow,  crooked  lanes  of  Chikli,  toward  the 
regular  place  of  preaching.  On  the  w^ay,  I 
saw  two  Hindus  sitting  face  to  face  on  the 
ground.  There  was  nothing  uncommon  in 
their   sitting  thus   in   the   dust   of  the  road, 

(127) 
9 


128  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

or  even  lying  there  for  a  midday  nap;  but 
these  men  were  not  asleep.  Their  attitude 
attracted  my  attention,  and  I  stopped  to 
observe  them.  They  were  very  intent  on 
something,  but  at  first  I  could  not  make  out 
what  it  was.  They  were  looking  at  each 
other,  evidently  "straight  in  the  eye." 

PRIEST  AND  PATIENT 

As  I  drew  near,  one  was  repeating,  "Ram  — 
Ram  —  Ram  —  Ram,"  the  name  of  a  Hindu 
god  much  reverenced  in  India.  The  speaker 
had  two  small  twigs  about  a  foot  and  a  half 
long,  with  which  he  beat  the  ground  rapidly, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  his  arms  must  ache  from 
the  constant  motion.  I  watched  the  men  in 
silence  for  a  while,  and  finally  asked  what 
they  were  doing.  The  man  with  the  twigs, 
who  was  a  priest,  appeared  greatly  annoyed 
at  what  he  evidently  considered  as  my  im- 
pertinence. But  I  had  never  seen  such  a 
performance  before,  and  was  anxious  for  an 
explanation;  and  why  not,  as  this  was  a 
public  place,  and  the  performance  seemed 
free  to  all  who  passed  by? 

Observing  the  innocence  of  my  intention, 
the  priest  told  me  that  the  other  man  was 
possessed  with  evil  spirits,  and  that  he  was 


(129) 


130  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

casting  them  out.  The  spell  of  the  priest 
seemed  broken  the  moment  I  spoke,  and  he 
gave  a  suggestive  glance,  and  made  a  re- 
mark in  an  undertone  to  the  patient. 

I  then  asked  how  long  the  poor  fellow 
had  been  possessed,  and  what  effect  the  evil 
spirits  had  on  him  —  not  that  I  believed  all 
the  men  said,  but  because  I  wished  to  learn 
their  ideas  on  the  subject  of  demon  pos- 
session. 

The  priest  replied  that  the  evil  spirits  had 
been  in  the  man  a  long  time,  that  he  had 
suffered  much  pain  and  torment  from  them, 
and  that  when  he  saw  the  blood  of  a  goat 
or  any  other  animal,  he  raged,  and  tried  to 
tear  himself. 

It  was  too  good  an  opportunity  to  lose  to 
relate  the  teaching  of  the  gospel  on  the  sub- 
ject. I  did  not  for  a  moment  doubt  that 
the  man,  possibly  both  men,  were  possessed 
of  many  evil  spirits,  which  gave  them  both 
much  trouble;  but  I  doubted  the  efficacy  of 
their  superstitious  and  nonsensical  method 
of  dealing  with  such  mighty  forces  of  evil. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  stand  among  positive 
unbelievers,  and  declare  the  truth  of  God. 
At  such  times,  we  feel  the  special  help  of 
the    Holy    Si)irit.      I    told    these    men    that 


Casting  Out  Devils  131 

Ram  was  dead  and  buried,  and  that  the  use 
of  a  dead  man's  name  would  never  cast  out 
demons  nor  bring  any  relief  whatever.  I 
told  them  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  One  mighty 
to  save  and  to  deliver;  that  while  He  was  on 
earth,  and  even  in  these  days,  in  answer  to 
prayer,  many  afflicted  souls  had  been  de- 
livered from  the  power  of  the  evil  one. 

The  men  listened  in  breathless  silence. 
Whether  they  grasped  the  message  or  not,  I 
cannot  tell;  but  the  seed  was  sown,  and  the 
result  was  left  with  the  Lord.  I  never  saw 
those  men  again,  but  I  was  glad  that  I 
could  tell  them  of  Him  who  can  cast  out 
legions  of  devils  by  His  word.  When  Jesus 
cures  the  sin-sick  soul,  devils  flee,  and  peace 
fills  the  heart. 

A  UNIQUE   MUSICAL   INSTRUMENT 

A  company  of  "dwellers  in  tents"  had 
made  their  camp  not  far  from  the  mission 
bungalow.  They  spent  their  days  in  manu- 
facturing palm  leaf  brooms  and  hemp  rope, 
disposing  of  their  goods  in  the  weekly  ba- 
zaars, and  night  after  night  sang  their  weird 
songs  till  a  late  hour.  Their  singing  was 
accompanied  by  a  one-stringed  instrument, 
made   of  a   dried   squash,   a  hollow   bamboo 


132  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

stick,  and  one  wire,  and  producing  a  most 
monotonous  strain. 

One  of  the  young  mothers  from  this  tribe 
brought  her  small,  unclothed  child  to  our 
door  and  asked  for  a  garment.  We  gave 
her  one,  and  with  thanks  she  departed. 

In  a  few  days,  our  heavy  annual  rain  be- 
gan to  fall,  and  the  rag  tents,  with  all  their 
contents,  were  soaked  through  and  through. 
The  mother  of  this  babe  fell  very  sick  with 
a  high  fever,  and  for  several  days  lay  on  a 
heap  of  old  damp  bedclothes,  without  proper 
food  and  care.  Finally  she  became  so  ill  that 
her  people  were  alarmed,  and  decided  to 
send  for  the  witch  doctor  of  their  tribe.  The 
day  he  arrived,  the  camp  was  all  astir.  Evi- 
dently they  had  the  utmost  reverence  for 
and  confidence  in  this  aged  but  evil-eyed 
man.  Great  preparations  were  made  for 
his  comfort  and  entertainment.  Chickens 
were  killed,  and  a  tempting  feast  was  pre- 
pared. 

BAllBAROUS   ""treatment"" 

After  he  had  been  well  satisfied  with  the 
good  things  made  ready  for  him,  he  diag- 
nosed the  fever  case.  He  looked  very  wise 
for  a  while,  and  finally  informed  the  people 


Casting  Out  Devils  133 

that  this  fever-stricken  woman  was  possessed 
with  evil  spirits;  then  he  called  the  musicians 
and  drummers,  who  played  their  instruments 
with  great  zest  and  enthusiasm.  The  whole 
camp  was  in  an  uproar.  The  old  witch 
doctor  himself  became  quite  excited,  and 
whirled  and  danced  with  many  gestures  and 
contortions.  When  the  critical  moment  had 
arrived  to  cast  out  the  evil  spirits  from  the 
suffering  woman,  he  took  a  bamboo  stick, 
and  beat  her  from  head  to  foot.  Of  course, 
she  was  dreadfully  frightened,  and  the  re- 
sult was  a  free  perspiration,  which  broke 
the  fever,  at  least  for  a  time.  Naturally 
the  people  concluded  that  the  "devils"  had 
departed. 

About  that  time,  the  missionary  appeared 
on  the  scene,  quite  indignant  at  the  cruel 
treatment  inflicted  on  the  sick  woman  with- 
out a  word  of  protest  from  one  of  the  camp- 
ers. We  insisted  on  an  explanation,  and 
informed  the  doctor  and  the  people  that  if 
they  attempted  any  such  treatment  again, 
we  should  send  for  the  police,  and  have  them 
arrested.  The  "doctor"  was  so  frightened 
that  he  soon  picked  up  his  belongings  and 
departed,  and  we  never  saw  him  again. 


134  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Many  such  deluded  men  roam  over  India, 
deceived  themselves,  and  deceiving  the  peo- 
ple. Doubtless  many  of  them  really  be- 
lieve that  they  possess  a  supernatural  ability 
to  cast  out  and  overthrow  the  works  of  dark- 
ness, when  in  reality  they  are  in  league  with 
the  evil  one  himself,  and  are  helping  to  set 
up  and  strengthen  his  kingdom.  But  they 
deserve  our  pity  rather  than  our  censure, 
for  they  have  never  been  taught  the  things 
of  light  and  wisdom.  I  have  often  thought 
that  many  of  these  deluded  men  might  make 
good  evangelists  if  they  were  converted  and 
trained  in .  the  things  of  God.  They  are 
serving  Satan  and  propagating  his  subtle 
superstitions  because  they  have  never  known 
a  better  way. 

A  ""cranky""  cow 

We  had  purchased  a  large  buffalo  cow, 
which  furnished  our  table  with  rich  milk  and 
cream.  A  buffalo  is  quite  different  from  an 
American  cow  in  disposition.  This  one  be- 
came very  gentle,  but  at  times  took  peculiar 
"cranky"  spells  —  just  why,  we  never  knew. 
One  day  our  milkman  was  not  able  to  draw 
her  milk.  She  was  well  fed,  and  even  ca- 
ressed;  but   no    inducement   could   we    offer 


(135) 


136  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

that  would  lead  her  to  yield  her  milk.  She 
withheld  every  drop,  and  stamped  in  rage 
and  defiance. 

What  could  be  the  matter?  Several  of 
the  natives  declared  that  she  was  possessed 
by  a  devil.  We  remonstrated;  but  very 
politely  they  told  us  of  many  such  cases, 
and  the  cause  as  well.  They  finally  im- 
plored us  to  call  the  old  gowlie  (milkman) 
of  the  town.  Was  he  not  an  elder  and  a 
patriarch?  and  could  he  not  tell  every  ail- 
ment of  all  such  animals  almost  at  a  glance? 
Our  curiosity  was  aroused  by  their  earnest- 
ness, and  reluctantly  we  consented  to  their 
calling  the  old  gowlie. 

Very  promptly  the  old  man  came  to  the 
stall,  and  in  a  dignified  manner  walked  about 
the  silent  animal  as  if  measuring  her  from 
head  to  foot.  Then  he  called  for  a  pan  of 
hot  coals,  and  placed  it  before  her.  Natu- 
rally she  did  not  like  the  hot  fumes  in 
her  face,  and  began  to  snuff,  and  snort,  and 
paw,  and  flash  her  rolling  eyes.  Then  the 
gowlie  called  for  a  bucket  of  water  and 
several  earthen  cups.  The  cups  were  first 
heated  in  the  fire,  and  then  carefully  placed 
in  the  bucket,  where  they  sizzed  and  sput- 
tered.    The  attendant  then  took  several  hot 


Casting  Out  Devils  137 

cups,  and  waved  them  about  the  body  of  the 
cow,  the  gowlie  pulling  her  tail,  stroking  her 
back,  and  at  the  same  time  repeating  a  bit 
of  nonsense. 

Then,  with  a  wise  air,  he  said  that  no  doubt 
she  had  been  possessed,  but  now  he  was  sure 
she  would  give  her  milk  all  right.  We  have 
to  acknowledge  that  she  did  give  her  milk 
without  the  least  further  trouble;  but  of 
course  we  are  still  unconvinced  that  an  evil 
spirit  had  been  exorcised  by  the  old  man's 
performance. 

What  impressed  us  most  was  the  conclu- 
sion of  these  men  as  to  the  cause  of  the  sup- 
posed possession.  They  asked  a  number  of 
questions,  and  then  were  sure  they  knew 
the  reason.  The  woman  from  whom  we  had 
purchased  the  animal  had  been  to  see  her, 
and  remarked  that  she  looked  "fat  and  fine" 
—  which  was  true,  for  the  animal  was  kept 
in  excellent  condition.  "This  is  enough  to 
spoil  any  cow,"  they  said.  "Yes,  yes,  that 
is  the  reason  of  her  ill  behavior.  No  one 
should  ever  assert,  about  either  animals  or 
men,  that  they  are  big  and  fat." 

Two  stonemasons  set  out  to  a  neighbor- 
ing village  to  wall  up  a  well.  They  had 
gone  but  part  way  when  suddenly  they  were 


138  Fruit  from,  the  Jungle 

observed  to  wheel  about  and  return  to  their 
home.  When  asked  why  they  returned  so 
soon,  they  replied  that  they  had  seen  the 
track  of  a  snake  on  the  road  they  were  tak- 
ing, and  that  it  was  a  very  bad  omen  indeed; 
in  fact,  that  Satan  had  cursed  their  path, 
and  that  their  work  on  the  well  would  never 
prosper  if  they  proceeded  then;  so  they 
postponed  it  until  the  trail  in  the  dusty  road 
had  been  swept  away. 

We  knew  one  woman  who  wore  a  necklace 
of  snakes'  teeth  to  charm  away  snakes  and 
evil  spirits.  She  afterward  became  a  Chris- 
tian, and  gave  us  the  necklace,  which  is 
now  in  a  museum  in  the  United  States. 
Many  of  the  men  wear  two  steel  armlets 
above  the  muscles  of  the  upper  arm,  as  a 
guard  against  evil  spirits;  and  sometimes  it 
has  been  difficult  to  convince  converts  how 
useless  these  charms  are. 

Nearly  every  Hindu  child  wears  tied  to 
the  neck  a  small  silver  box  containing  a  tiny 
idol  consecrated  by  a  priest.  This,  too,  is 
worn  to  keep  away  evil  spirits. 

The  light  of  the  gospel  scatters  all  these 
superstitions,  which  affect  the  lives  of  the 
heathen  as  strongly  as  beautiful  ideas  affect 
ours.     It  is  a  great  joy  to  see  these  people 


Casting  Out  Devils  139 

converted,  and  note  the  transformation  of 
their  natures,  the  blossoming  out  into  joy 
and  beauty  of  that  which  before  was  sad 
and  repellant. 

Thank  God,  we  know  this  better  way,  and 
have  the  privilege  of  working  with  our  Sav- 
iour in  establishing  His  kingdom  on  the 
earth. 


(140) 


CHAPTER     IX 


The  Plague 

N  the  book  of  A^umbers,  eleventh  chap- 
ter and  thh'ty-thh'd  verse,  we  read, 
"The  Lord  smote  the  people  with  a 
very  great  plague."  And  if  you  will 
take  the  trouble  to  look  through  the 
Bible,  you  will  find  many  instances,  in  both 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testament,  where 
various  kinds  of  plague  are  spoken  of. 

Secular  history  also  affords  many  examples 
of  plague  upon  the  people  in  numerous  places, 
as  the  "black  plague,"  which  visited  London 
in  the  seventeenth .  century.  Without  doubt, 
men  have  always  felt,  during  such  severe 
calamities,  that  God  was  displeased  with 
them.  John  Wesley  frequently  spoke  to  men 
upon  the  judgments  of  God  because  of  their 
sins. 

The  epidemic  of  Bombay,  which  began  in 
1896,  was  in  some  respects  different  from 
other  plagues  that  have  made  their  appear- 
ance in  the  past.  One  of  the  earliest  signs 
of  plague  in  this  instance  was  the  large  num- 
ber of  rats  that  died  in  the  city.  At  first, 
little  notice  was  given  to  this  new  and  strange 

(141) 


142  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

occurrence;  but  when  thousands  of  rats  were 
found  lying  dead  or  stupid  in  private  homes 
and  places  of  business,  the  city  became 
alarmed.  About  the  same  time,  several  per- 
sons were  suddenly  stricken  with  a  peculiar 
new  malady,  which  puzzled  the  physicians, 
and  baffled  their  skill.  The  patient  would 
be  taken  with  a  burning  fever,  and  very 
soon  large  swellings  appeared  in  the  neck, 
the  groins,  and  under  the  arms.  These 
swellings  were  called  biibos;  and  from  this 
word,  the  plague  was  named  bubonic.  In 
a  short  time,  it  was  found  to  be  highly  con- 
tagious; and  wherever  dead  rats  were  found, 
it  flourished  greatly. 

In  a  short  time,  the  people  by  thousands 
became  so  frightened  that  they  fled  from  the 
city  to  the  surrounding  towns.  Still  the 
scourge  swept  on.  Those  who  fled  carried 
the  germs  of  the  disease  with  them;  and  in 
a  short  time,  like  a  prairie  fire,  it  had  spread 
to  many  other  towns  and  cities,  and  was 
beyond  the  control  of  all  the  medical  force 
that  government  could  command.  A  system 
of  skilled  medical  inspection  was  soon  or- 
ganized, but  immediately  another  insurmount- 
able difficulty  arose.  JNIany  of  the  Hindu 
and  Mohammedan  women  keep  'piirdah,  and 


The  Plague  143 

never  show  their  faces  in  public.  No  men 
but  the  members  of  their  immediate  families 
are  allowed  to  see  them  face  to  face.  Civil 
surgeons  could  not  visit  such  homes  for  in- 
spection. This  hindered  the  carrying  out  of 
a   well   planned   system   of   disinfection   and 


The  "Sunset  Ghat"  Dispensary  at  Kalyan 

sanitation.  Where  caste  prejudice  interfered 
with  these  regulations,  police  force  was  some- 
times resorted  to,  with  the  result  that  among 
certain  classes  of  rigid  caste  people,  resist- 
ance amounted  almost  to  riots. 


FIGHTING   THE    PLAGUE 

The  attempt  to  control  the  situation  by 
force  led  to  deception  on  the  part  of  many. 
New  cases  were  not  reported,  but  were  kept 

10 


144  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

hidden,  and  thus  the  whole  situation  baffled 
the  skill,  wisdom,  and  patience  of  the  city 
authorities  and  sanitary  commissioners.  As 
soon  as  possible,  medical  attendants  were  sta- 
tioned all  along  the  main  railroads;  and -at 
certain  places,  everybody  in  the  train  was 
called  out  and  examined.  Many  cases  of 
fever  were  thus  detected.  Not  far  from  each 
large  railroad  platform  might  be  seen  tem- 
porary buildings  of  coarse  bamboo  matting, 
which  were  used  as  places  of  quarantine  for 
suspected  cases,  some  of  which  developed  into 
plague. 

In  not  a  few  instances,  men  who  were  com- 
ing down  with  plague  when  they  fled  from 
the  city,  died  on  the  train.  There  were 
daily  accounts  of  many  who  died  from  plague 
on  the  trains.  At  some  stations,  it  was  al- 
most amusing  to  see  the  sleeping  travelers 
pulled  out  of  their  compartments  in  the  night, 
lined  up  with  all  classes,  and  deftly  inspected 
by  the  skilled  medical  attendants.  Not  one 
could  escape.  The  trains  themselves  were 
fumigated  at  frequent  intervals.  But  in 
spite  of  all  precautions,  the  plague  advanced 
rapidly  over  large  districts,  and  to  remote 
villages.  The  rats  died  in  all  directions, 
and  not  only  rats,  but  squirrels,  cattle,  and 


The  Plague  145 

monkeys.  Nearly  all  the  little  striped  squir- 
rels that  had  played  about  our  mission  com- 
pound disappeared. 

THE  PEOPLE  TERRIFIED 

Business  was  seriously  affected;  and  for  a 
time,  panic  conditions  prevailed.  No  one 
cared  to  purchase  goods  from  the  plague- 
affected  cities;  and  men  became  afraid  to 
meet  their  neighbors,  lest  they  become  con- 
taminated. Even  the  mails  were  disinfected, 
to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  contagion  from 
one  place  to  another,  and  even  to  distant 
lands.  Almost  everybody  in  the  country  who 
had  any  medical  skill  or  experience  was 
drafted  into  active  service,  and  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  government,  thrust  into  the 
army  of  faithful  men  and  women  who  sought 
by  every  means  possible  to  stay  the  disease. 

So  many  died  that  the  city  authorities  were 
kept  busy  disposing  of  the  bodies.  When- 
ever a  person  died,  the  authorities  placed  a 
large  black  cross  on  the  outside  of  the  house 
—  a  ghastly  sign  of  the  work  of  this  dread- 
ful scourge.  In  a  few  days,  whole  families 
were  wiped  out.  House  after  house  was 
vacated,  entire  streets  were  deserted,  and  in 
many    quarters,    whole    blocks    and    squares. 


146  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Often  men  were  so  badly  frightened  that 
they  left  their  dead  and  fled.  Some  stopped 
in  their  houses  only  long  enough  to  bury 
their  dead  in  the  ground  floor  of  one  of 
their  living  apartments.  I  saw  one  body 
carried  through  the  streets  merely  tied  to 
a  pole.  The  man  had  been  a  priest,  and 
lived  alone.  When  he  was  not  seen  for 
several  days,  search  was  made,  and  he  was 
found  dead  in  his  home.  He  had  no  friends 
to  look  after  him;  so  the  mahars,  or  low- 
caste  men,  were  forced  by  the  police  to  bury 
him. 

Cartloads  of  human  beings  were  thus  gath- 
ered up,  piled  in  stacks  like  cordwood,  and 
then  thrown  into  deep  pits  or  trenches  and 
covered.  Faces  were  drawn  with  sorrow  and 
fright,  and  a  cloud  of  fear  hung  like  a  black 
pall  over  the  country.  Usually  only  the 
natives  were  attacked,  but  now  and  then 
Europeans  came  down  with  plague.  It  was 
noticeable  that  few  Christians  were  stricken. 
Most  of  the  native  converts  live  separate 
from  others,  and  observe  the  rules  of  sani- 
tation. 

Some  villages  were  more  severely  afflicted 
than  others.  Frequently  officials  gave  orders 
for  the  people  to  vacate  a  town,   and  then 


The  Plague 


147 


set  fire  to  the  houses  and  destroyed  every 
one.  I  drove  through  some  such  places,  and 
the  desolation  and  charred  remains  spoke 
more  impressively  of  the  terrible  experience 
than  any  pen  can.  Profound  silence  and 
gloom  fell  upon  us  whenever  we  passed  such 
a  forsaken  spot,  once  teeming  with  business, 
pleasure,  and  life. 

Still  another  effect  was  produced  among 
the  people:  Men  sought  their  gods,  and  en- 
deavored to  appease  their  wrath  by  spending 
much  time  in  the  large  temples,  chanting  and 
offering   gifts    in    the   hope    of   pardon    and 


At  the  Dispensary 


148  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

mercy.  At  one  temple,  we  saw  a  woman 
beating  her  chest,  and  calling  piteously  upon 
the  mother  god.  Appointments  were  made 
for  bloody  sacrifices  to  the  gods. 

Almost  any  time,  one  could  stand  in  the 
doorway,  and  see  long  files  of  men,  women, 
and  children  passing  like  so  many  living 
streams,  each  with  a  sheep,  a  goat,  or  a 
chicken,  toward  the  place  of  worship  and 
sacrifice.  The  bleating  of  sheep  and  the 
quacking  of  fowls,  added  to  the  clamor  of 
human  voices,  made  it  strangely  weird.  And 
it  was  unspeakably  sad,  the  people  were  so 
helpless  and  so  ignorant.  One's  heart  was 
moved  with  profound  sympathy  for  them  in 
their  distress. 

The  majority  of  the  people  were  so  over- 
powered with  their  calamity  and  a  sense  of 
divine  displeasure  that  it  was  quite  impos- 
sible to  attract  their  attention.  There  were 
some  exceptions,  however;  and  many  ac- 
knowledged that  it  was  no  wonder  God  had 
thus  afflicted  them,  for  they  knew  they  and 
their  people  were  very  wicked  in  their  daily 
lives. 

When  men  in  large  masses  are  moved  to 
repentance,  they  often  forget  it  soon,  and 
fall  back  into  the  same  old  ways;  but  when. 


The  Plague  149 

without  much  outside  influence,  they  are 
touched  by  a  sense  of  their  sin,  their  reform 
is  more  likely  to  be  permanent. 

Doubtless  God  has  spoken  loudly  and 
long  to  the  people  of  India;  and  if  He  is 
still  patient  and  long-suffering  toward  them, 
surely  we  should  be,  and  thank  Him  for 
the  excellent  opportunity  we  have  of  pre- 
senting to  them  a  better  way  of  living,  and 
salvation  from  sin  and  its  awful  consequences. 

PLAGUE   BROUGHT   TO   THE   DISPENSARY 

Our  medical  dispensary  was  always  open 
for  all  sorts  of  needy  cases.  One  day,  an 
old  woman  came  staggering  in,  carrying  her 
full-grown  son  rolled  up  in  a  blanket  on 
her  back.  She  was  all  out  of  breath  as  she 
gently  lowered  her  burden  to  the  ground,  and 
placed  the  sick  son  beside  the  medical  mis- 
sionary, who  saw  at  once  that  he  was  very 
ill  of  plague.  Of  course,  the  young  man  was 
removed  from  the  place  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, but  not  before  many  of  the  waiting 
patients  had  been  exposed. 

One  of  our  orphan  boys,  Alfred  by  name, 
saw  a  large  rat  lying  on  the  ground  not  far 
from  our  house,  and  picking  it  up  by  the  tail, 
began  to  play  ball  with  it.     As  soon  as  he 


150  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

was  discovered,  we  properly  disposed  of  the 
rat,  and  then  had  all  the  boys  well  disin- 
fected.    The  rat  had  died  of  plague. 

As  I  was  sitting  on  the  veranda  of  the 
mission  house  one  day,  a  young  man  with 
a  blanket  on  his  head  and  with  a  burning 
fever,  walked  up  and  said:  "Oh,  sir,  I  am 
very  sick  indeed.  Please  give  me  treat- 
ment." A  glance  showed  that  he  had  the 
plague,  and  we  sent  him  to  the  plague  doctor 
immediately.  He  died  soon  after  reaching 
the  hospital,  which  was  scarcely  five  minutes' 
walk  distant. 

INOCULATION  TRIED 

All  sorts  of  experiments  were  made,  and 
various  measures  were  adopted  in  the  hope 
of  relief.  A  system  of  inoculation,  similar 
to  vaccination  for  smallpox,  was  introduced. 
Many  patients  who  were  inoculated  died, 
while  others,  after  passing  through  a  very 
critical  period  of  fever,  recovered.  In 
some  localities,  inoculation  was  quite  popu- 
lar. However,  many  persons  would  not  con- 
sent to  this  treatment. 

One  daj^  we  were  informed  that  dead 
rats  had  been  found  in  the  cookhouse  be- 
longing to  our  nearest  neighbor,  then  in  the 


.  The  Plague  151 

next  cookhouse,  and  so  on  all  about  us.  The 
plague  spread  all  over  the  town,  and  hun- 
dreds of  persons  were  dying  every  week. 
In  one  family,  seven  or  eight  members  died, 
and  finally  not  one  was  left. 

CLAIMING   GOD^S    PROMISE 

When  official  orders  came  to  vacate  the 
town,  we  were  glad  that  our  house  was  apart 
from  all  the  rest,  for  so  we  were  allowed  to 
remain  upon  our  own  premises.  In  all,  we 
had  about  seventy-five  persons  in  our  com- 
pound, which  included  nearly  eight  acres. 
Most  of  these  persons  were  native  Chris- 
tians. We  notified  all  that  they  should  pray 
to  God  for  special  protection,  and  claim  the 
promise  that  "there  shall  no  evil  befall  thee, 
neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy 
dwelling." 

We  provided  a  special  disinfectant  bath 
for  all,  and  of  course  saw  to  it  that  the 
premises  were  kept  clean,  and  then  relied 
upon  divine  protection.  The  only  man  in 
our  group  who  was  not  a  Christian  was  our 
cook.  He  said  his  home  was  out  in  the 
jungles,  and  apart  from  others,  and  that 
he  would  not  associate  with  the  townspeople. 
Whether  he  kept  his  word  or  not  we  do  not 


152  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

know;  but  one  day  he  came  to  us,  and  said 
his  son  was  ill  of  plague.  For  a  moment, 
we  were  almost  speechless;  but  finally  we 
told  him  to  remain  at  home  until  we  gave 
him  permission  to  return.  He  came  daily 
as  far  as  our  gate  for  milk  and  food,  which 
we  sent  to  his  sick  boy.  About  the  same  time, 
we  received  a  boy  and  a  girl  who  had  both 
been  exposed  to  plague.  But  after  keeping 
them  in  the  jungles  and  in  quarantine  for 
ten  days,  we  allowed  them  to  join  our  com- 
pany, and  they  are  still  (October,  1917)  well 
and  happy.  Of  the  seventy-five  souls  at  the 
mission,  not  one  died  of  plague,  while  all 
about  us  many  deaths  occurred  daily.  For 
this  special  protection  and  favor  of  God  we 
shall  always  be  thankful  indeed. 

ANXIOUS   DAYS 

But  this  is  not  all  that  took  place  in  our 
compound  during  those  anxious  days.  While 
at  the  dinner  table  one  day,  we  suddenly  de- 
tected the  smell  of  a  dead  rat  in  the  house. 
We  watched  a  large  green  fly  as  he  buzzed 
into  a  hole  in  the  wall  under  a  bed  in  the 
corner  of  the  bedroom;  then  with  a  pickax 
we  dug  away  till  we  found  in  the  bedroom 


The  Plague  153 

wall  a  large  dead  rat,  which  must  have  been 
there  several  days. 

About  that  time,  I  was  writing  in  the  office 
one  morning,  when  a  dead  squirrel  dropped 
beside  me  on  the  floor,  from  the  rafters  over- 
head. I  left  the  room  and  went  to  the  water 
jar  on  the  veranda  for  a  drink,  and  there 
on  the  floor  saw  several  more  dead  squirrels. 
We  had  just  finished  the  preparations  in  a 
bedroom  for  an  expected  guest,  and  went  in 
to  see  what  more  we  might  do  to  have  every- 
thing in  order  for  our  friend,  when  the 
breeze  brought  unpleasant  whiffs  of  a  de- 
caying rat.  We  looked  everywhere,  and  at 
last  discovered  a  large  brown  spot  on  the 
cloth  that  serves  for  a  ceiling  instead  of 
plaster,  in  the  dressing  room  adjoining  the 
guest  chamber.  These  dead  rats  and  squir- 
rels were  disposed  of  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  each  place  where  they  had  been  was 
properly   disinfected. 

HIS   PROMISES   NEVER  FAIL 

Those  trying  days  were  a  test  of  our  faith; 
but  His  promises  never  failed.  "The  word 
of  God  .  .  .  cannot  be  broken."  "Heaven 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  My  words 
shall  not  pass  away." 


154  Fruit  fram  the  Jungle 

The  plague  continues  to  break  out  yearly 
in  India;  and  since  the  incidents  related 
above  took  place,  it  has  spread  to  many 
other  lands.  It  seems  to  have  spent  itself 
in  its  onward  progress,  and  is  not  so  violent 
as  when  it  first  came;  yet  every  year,  we 
read  of  many  deaths  from  this  awful  pes- 
tilence. 


CHAPTER     X 


Rama  the  Scavenger 


Jj^|,|OST  of  the  boys  attending  our  mis- 
sion school  at  Jalgaon  were  of  the 
mochi,  or  shoemaker  caste.  Other 
boys  in  town  would  not  associate  with 
the  shoemakers,  because  they  worked 
on  the  skins  of  dead  animals.  A  high-caste 
man  may  not  touch  a  dead  animal  of  any 
kind.  Should  he  do  so,  he  would  be  defiled. 
The  Jews  had  similar  laws  concerning  defile- 
ment, such  as  that  recorded  in  Lev.  11:27: 
"Whoso  toucheth  their  carcass  shall  be  un- 
clean until  the  even." 

Kasho,  our  schoolmaster,  rang  his  bell  at 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  a  lot  of 
bright-faced,  nearly  nude  little  fellows  filed 
into  the  whitewashed  schoolroom  of  the  mis- 


Shoemaker 


Candy  Seller 

(155) 


156  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

sion  home.  The  master  most  of  the  time 
sat  cross-legged  on  a  red  cotton  rug  in 
one  corner  of  the  room,  and  the  boys  were 
ranged  around  its  four  walls  in  the  same 
fashion.  If  too  many  boys  were  present, 
and  the  wall  was  overcrowded,  they  sat  in 
the  middle  of  the  room,  all  flat  on  the  floor. 
When  a  native  sits  on  a  chair,  he  says, 
''Moongy  arlie/'  which  means,  literally,  "The 
ants  have  come."  And  a  white  man,  ac- 
customed to  the  use  of  a  chair,  if  compelled 
to  sit  cross-legged  all  day  on  the  floor, 
would  say  his  legs  had  "gone  to  sleep."  That 
creepy  sensation  of  numbness  which  we  call 
"going  to  sleep,"  they  call  "creeping  of 
ants";  and  what  cures  it  in  one  man  causes 
it  in  another.     Such  is  the  effect  of  custom. 

THE  BIBLE  TAUGHT 

The  opening  exercises  of  our  school  con- 
sisted of  a  Christian  song,  a  few  verses  of 
Scripture  read  by  the  master  and  repeated 
by  the  pupils,  and  prayer.  The  school  was 
usually  closed  with  similar  exercises,  all  the 
pupils  reciting  a  psalm  or  some  other  Scrip- 
ture portion  which  they  had  carefully  com- 
mitted to  memory,  and  enjoyed  reciting  to 
visitors.      Missionaries    and    native    helpers 


(157) 


158  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

spend  much  time  drilling  the  children  and 
young  people  to  repeat  the  word  of  God, 
with  the  hope  that  if  it  is  once  fixed  in 
the  memory,  it  may  sometime  reach  the  heart. 
"The  entrance  of  Thy  words  giveth  light," 
declared  the  psalmist  long  ago;  and  we  are 
sure  that  when  the  word  of  God  begins  to 
operate  in  the  hearts  of  the  heathen,  false 
notions  will  be  destroyed,  and  the  truth  will 
transform  their   lives. 

Bibles  are  always  provided  for  those  who 
wish  them  and  will  promise  to  read  them. 
If  tons  of  Bibles  in  the  language  of  the 
people  could  be  freely  scattered  in  India,  it 
would  not  be  long  before  thousands  would 
turn  to  the  true  God,  and  forsake  idolatry 
and    superstition. 

A  BOY  OF  THE  SWEEPER   CASTE 

Many  cases  of  real  conversion  can  be 
traced  to  the  simple  reading  of  the  Bible. 
It  is  customary  for  one  of  the  sweeper  or 
scavenger  caste  to  visit  each  house  and  com- 
pound once  or  twice  a  day  to  collect  and 
carry  off  the  rubbish  and  waste  that  ac- 
cumulates in  the  closets,  etc.  A  widow  with 
nine  small  children  to  support  thus  visited 
the  Jalgaon  mission  each   day.      The   death 


An  Indian  Sweeper  and  Wife 
These  are  the  untouchables 


11 


(159) 


160  F7'uit  from  the  Jungle 

of  her  husband  had  left  her  the  sole  bread 
winner  for  the  family  of  ten.  One  day,  her 
oldest  son,  Rama,  came  instead  of  his  mother. 
He  would  be  called  a  mate?',  or  hungee,  which 
means,  in  the  Hindu  language,  a  sweeper; 
but  the  poor  boy  could  not  prevent  his  caste 
any  more  than  he  could  change  his  dark 
skin.     I  asked  him  if  he  ever  went  to  school. 

"No,  sir;  but  I  wish  I  could  go,"  was  the 
prompt  reply. 

That  was  just  what  I  wanted  him  to  say, 
for  I  sincerely  hoped  to  persuade  him  to 
become  a  learner  in  our  mission  school.  We 
did  not  object  to  his  caste,  and  soap  and 
water  would  make  him  as  clean  as  a  high- 
caste  youth.  Did  he  not  have  a  soul  to 
save  as  well  as  those  from  higher  castes  and 
of  more  respected  occupations?  His  only 
excuse  was  that  he  must  care  for  his  two 
little  brothers;  but  he  could  find  some  time 
for  study,  and  I  agreed  to  accept  him  as  a 
pupil  in  our  school,  as  well  as  his  two  small 
brothers. 

HAD  TO   SIT  IN   THE   HALL 

Few  boys  in  America  would  have  the 
courage  to  try  to  study  and  act  as  child's 
nurse  at  the  same  time;  but  Rama  had  be- 


Rama  the  Scavenger  161 

come  used  to  such  responsibilities  in  his 
mother's  absence  from  home,  and  became  as 
attentive  to  his  studies  as  were  those  about 
him.  His  eyes  sparkled  with  delight  the  day 
we  arranged  the  plan  and  welcomed  him 
into  our  mission  school.  None  of  the 
shoemaker  boys,  however,  would  sit  beside 
him.  They  regarded  themselves  as  above  a 
sweeper,  and  would  not  become  defiled  by 
close  contact  with  one  whom  they  had  been 
taught  to  think  beneath  them.  So  Rama, 
with  his  brothers,  sat  in  the  hallway,  but 
close  to  the  door,  where  the  master  could 
see  and  hear  all  they  did  and  said.  He 
proved  quick  to  learn,  and  soon  committed 
some  Scripture  portions  to  memory.  The 
Lord's   Prayer  was  very   attractive   to  him. 

BITTEN    BY   A   SCORPION 

After  the  boy  had  been  in  school  for  some 
time,  his  mother  came  to  our  door  one  morn- 
ing, apparently  in  a  high  state  of  excite- 
ment, and  very  anxious  to  tell  us  something. 
She  said  that  the  previous  night,  when  all 
was  quiet  in  her  humble  little  home,  Rama 
suddenly  jumped  up  from  his  bed  on  the 
floor,  screaming  and  in  great  pain.  He  had 
been  stung  by  a   scorpion,   a   common   pest 


162  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

in  India.  Begging  his  mother  to  do  some- 
thing quickly  for  his  relief,  he  lay  down 
again  on  the  floor,  writhing  in  agony.  I 
have  seen  strong  men  in  a  spasm  of  pain  for 
several  hours,  with  beads  of  perspiration 
standing  all  over  their  bodies,  after  they  were 
thus  poisoned  by  a  scorpion's  sting. 

Rama's  mother  tied  a  bandage  about  the 
wound  to  prevent  the  circulation  of  poison 
to  other  parts  of  the  body,  and  then  ap- 
plied a  burning  match  to  cauterize  it,  and 
an  onion  ointment  to  allay  the  pain,  which 
was  unbearable.  Suddenly  Rama  exclaimed: 
"Why  don't  you  pray  to  God,  as  the  mis- 
sionaries do?  They  tell  everything  to  God, 
and   He   hears   their   prayers." 

"But,"  said  she,  "what  could  I,  an  ignorant 
woman,  do?  I  could  not  pray  like  the  white 
man." 

Then  Rama  said  he  must  pray;  so  he  knelt 
down,  and  poured  out  an  earnest  petition 
for  deliverance.  The  pain  ceased,  and  mother 
and  son  lay  down  in  peace. 

Now  that  heathen  woman  stood  before  me 
with  beaming  countenance,  confessing  her 
simple  faith  in  the  God  we  worship,  who 
almost  instantly  answered  the  prayer  of  her 
boy  that  night.     She  seemed  to  feel  that  she 


Rama  the  Scavenger  163 

must  come  and  tell  us  the  good  her  son  was 
getting  from  our  school.  Both  mother  and 
son  had  grasped  a  faith  which  brought  great 
consolation  to  their  hearts.  To  me  this  was 
a  beautiful  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  "Call 
upon  JNIe  in  the  day  of  trouble:  I  will  de- 
liver thee." 

EMPLOYED  AS  A  MISSION  SERVANT 

After  a  time,  for  lack  of  room  and  on  ac- 
count of  other  changes,  the  Jalgaon  Mission 
House  was  closed;  but  Rama  continued  his 
regular  visits  to  the  mission,  and  sometimes 
attended  family  worship.  While  attending 
the  mission  school,  he  had  learned  to  read, 
and  became  a  happy  Christian  boj^  Now 
we  employed  him  as  a  regular  mission  serv- 
ant, to  drive  the  bullocks  and  make  himself 
generally  useful. 

He  heard  that  a  native  Christian  camp 
meeting  was  to  be  held  not  far  away.  With 
joy  he  thought  of  meeting  so  many  con- 
verted people,  and  endeavored  to  attend. 
First  he  gained  the  consent  of  his  mother; 
for  the  older  he  grew,  the  more  loyal  he 
seemed  to  be  to  her.  Then  he  asked  leave 
of  the  missionary  for  whom  he  worked;  and 
when  car  fare  to  and  from  the  camp  meeting 


164  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

was  given  him,  a  happier  lad  than  Rama 
never  walked  the  earth.  While  at  the  meet- 
ing, he  made  many  new  friends,  and  heard 
much  about  Christ  that  he  had  not  before 
learned. 

THE  ACCIDENT 

I  must  now  relate  a  sad  story  in  Rama's 
life.  One  afternoon,  several  persons  were 
leaving  the  camp  meeting  for  the  railroad 
station,  and  Rama  accompanied  them  in  the 
bullock  cart.  Accidentally  he  fell  from  the 
cart,  and  the  heavy  wheel  passed  over  his 
body,  crushing  him  badly.  This  sad  accident 
caused  a  feeling  of  gloom  over  all  that  happy 
gathering.  Friends  hastily  carried  him  to 
the  government  hospital  for  proper  care  and 
treatment.  At  the  hospital,  inquiry  was 
made  as  to  what  caste  he  belonged  to;  and 
when  it  Was  known  that  he  was  of  the 
sweeper  caste,  he  was  not  permitted  to  lie 
on  a  cot  in  the  ward  with  the  other  patients, 
but  was  assigned  to  a  heap  of  old  rags  on 
the  floor.  Much  as  the  missionaries  longed 
to  see  him  better  cared  for,  they  could  not 
interfere  with  custom  and  caste  prejudices. 
He  was  visited  daily  by  his  Christian  friends, 
who  prayed  for  him,  and  took  him  such 
simple  food  as  he  could  eat. 


Rama  the  Scavenger  165 

One  day,  one  of  the  missionaries  who  had 
called  to  see  Rama,  saw  that  the  lad  was 
sinking  fast,  and  asked  him  if  there  was  any- 
thing he  wanted. 

"Yes,"  said  the  boy.  "I  shall  not  live 
long  now.  I  want  but  one  thing  before  I 
die.  I  want  to  be  baptized;  but  that  is  im- 
possible, and  I  must  die  as  I  am.  I  am 
sorry,  oh,  so  sorry;  but  I  shall  meet  you 
when  Jesus  comes." 

Since  Rama  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  the  godly 
missionary  who  told  me  this  part  of  his  story, 
and  who  talked  with  him  at  the  last,  has  also 
gone  to  rest.  Of  course,  the  poor  old  mother 
was  heartbroken  when  she  learned  of  her 
son's  death,  and  the  mission  also  felt  his 
loss  deeply. 

That  humble  little  school  in  Jalgaon  has 
already  borne  permanent  fruit  for  the  king- 
dom of  God.  How  glad  I  am  that  we  ever 
pushed  through  the  obstacles  which  stood  in 
our  way  in  its  establishment!  Who  can  read 
this  simple  story  and  not  feel  that  it  pays 
to  follow  the  footsteps  of  Jesus,  and  "preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature"?  There  are 
in  India  millions  of  youth  like  Rama,  who 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  hear  of  Jesus, 
and  many  who  will  also  accept  Him. 


166  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Frequently  boys  beg  to  be  received  into  a 
mission  school,  but  not  all  are  accepted,  for 
lack  of  sufficient  funds  for  their  support. 
They  cheerfully  accept  the  coarsest  food 
and  the  humblest  quarters  for  the  opportu- 
nity of  personal  improvement  and  education. 
They  are  not  ashamed  to  be  called  Chris- 
tians, nor  to  be  found  reading  the  Bible. 
In  civilized  lands,  dogs  and  horses  are  trained, 
and  it  is  wonderful  to  see  what  these  dinnb 
animals  can  learn  to  do.  If  men  and  women 
with  the  love  of  God  in  their  hearts  would 
as  patiently  and  perseveringly  train  the  chil- 
dren of  heathen  parents,  who  can  compute 
the  results  in  this  world  and  in  that  to 
come  ? 

The  greatest  need  is  devoted  workers  and 
devoted  money.  Who  will  go?  Who  will 
give  ? 


CHAPTER     XI 


Bloody  Offerings 

ITH  but  few  exceptions,  the  doctrine 
of  atonement  by  blood  finds  place 
in  all  the  various  religions  in  the 
world.  Prominent  among  those  who 
do  not  hold  to  the  necessity  of  shed- 
ding of  blood  are  the  Parsees,  or  fire  wor- 
shipers. Practically  all  peoples  are  ready  to 
receive  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  the 
gospel  of  the  precious  blood  of  the  Son  of  God. 
I  was  called  to  conduct  the  funeral  service 
of  a  native  Christian  policeman,  who  had 
lived  fourteen  miles  from  the  mission  sta- 
tion. There  were  no  Christians  in  that 
town,  save  this  policeman,  his  wife,  and  three 
small  children.  When  he  died,  his  family 
were  without  a  friend  to  help  them;  for 
when  a  man  accepts  Christ,  and  is  baptized, 
he  is  usually  treated  as  an  outcast  by  his 
heathen  associates,  and  even  in  the  hour  of 
his  greatest  need,  is  left  to  push  through 
difficulties  all  alone. 

After  driving  fourteen  miles  in  the  hot 
sun,  I  found  the  man  lying  just  as  he  had 
died,  his  broken-hearted  widow  alone  in  her 

(167) 


168  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

sorrow.  Their  home  was  a  small,  one-roomed 
house,  made  of  mud  and  thatched  with  cotton 
stalks.  As  I  drove  up,  the  wife  came  out 
to  meet  me.  For  a  moment,  she  forgot 
her  grief,  and  smiled,  she  was  so  glad  a 
Christian  friend  had  come.  Then,  bowing 
her  head,  she  sobbed  out  her  heart's  anguish. 
But  even  then  I  observed  the  self-control 
and  expression  of  hope  which  I  had  never 
seen  at  such  times  among  heathen  women, 
and  thanked  God  that  this  family  were 
Christians. 

My  first  duty  was  to  pull  off  my  coat, 
roll  up  my  sleeves,  and  prepare  a  bier  for 
our  dead  brother.  We  laid  him  on  the  bam- 
boo frame,  covered  him  with  a  white  cloth, 
and  tucked  green  branches  among  the  white 
to  relieve  the  ghastliness.  After  carefully 
tying  all  to  the  bier,  we  placed  it  in  our 
bullock  cart. 

A  HEATHEN   BURYING  PLACE 

An  appropriate  service  was  held,  consist- 
ing of  a  song,  the  reading  of  a  chapter, 
prayer,  and  a  few  remarks;  then  with  bowed 
heads  we  proceeded  to  the  cemetery.  We 
had  to  bury  at  one  side,  as  the  people  would 


Bloody  Offerings 


169 


not  allow  a  Christian  to  lie  among  those  who 
had  died  as  idol  worshipers. 

I  shuddered  as  we  entered  the  graveyard 
and  saw  skulls  and  human  bones  lying  all 
about.  Wild  animals  had  pulled  dead  bodies 
out  of  their  graves,  eaten  their  flesh,  and 
the    bones    were    bleaching   in    the    hot    sun. 

It  was  a  lonely  funeral  service, —  just 
seven  Christians  present,  with  crowds  of 
heathen  looking  scornfully  on.  We  felt  our 
weakness  as  far  as  numbers  were  concerned; 
yet  a  sense  of  the  sacred  nearness  of  the 
Saviour  accompanied  us  all  the  way. 

Our  brother  had  been  in  the  service  of  the 
British  government,  at  a  wage  of  seven 
rupees,  or  about  $2.33,  a  month.     They  were 


Our  Bullock  Cart  at  Kalyan 


170  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

a  very  poor  family  indeed.  On  our  return, 
we  waited  at  the  little  cottage  long  enough 
to  arrange  for  the  transfer  of  the  widow 
and  the  children  to  the  mission  house.  All 
they  possessed  did  not  fill  one  two-wheeled 
cart. 

The  next  day,  they  arrived  at  the  mission. 
The  three  children  were  placed  in  school,  and 
properly  cared  for,  and  the  widow  was  given 
such  work  as  she  was  able  to  do,  at  the  usual 
wage  of  a  woman,  two  annas  (four  cents) 
a  day.  Thus  she  supported  herself,  and  had 
Christian  privileges  and  the  fellowship  of 
the  native  Christians. 

A  FEAST  OF  ATONEMENT 

We  left  that  heathen  village  about  five 
o'clock  that  afternoon,  and  had  gone  but  a 
short  distance  when  we  heard  the  sound  of 
the  tom-tom  (native  drum)  as  well  as  other 
instruments.  Turning  a  sharp  corner,  to 
our  surprise,  crowds  of  people  dressed  in  gay 
attire  came  into  view,  marching  up  the  main 
street  of  the  town.  They  were  a  motley 
throng, —  men,  women,  and  children,  dressed 
in  red,  yellow,  green,  and  blue,  as  well  as 
combinations  of  all  colors. 


Bloody  Offerings  171 

We  asked  the  reason  for  this  display,  of 
a  passer-by;  and  he  explained  that  the  people 
were  celebrating  a  special  feast,  at  which 
a  male  buffalo  was  sacrificed,  and  an  atone- 
ment made  for  the  sins  of  the  people.  With 
our  knowledge  of  the  true  atonement,  the 
very  thought  of  such  a  barbarous  thing  was 
repulsive  in  the  extreme.  I  called  my  driver 
to  halt,  and  sat  looking  at  the  multitude, 
numbering  hundreds,  as  they  approached  us. 

The  leader  was  the  Parteil,  or  head  man 
of  the  village.  .He  wore  a  large  turban 
trimmed  with  gold  braid,  also  a  long  blue 
felt  coat,  and  brandished  a  heavy  sword  in 
mid-air.  Following  close  behind  him  were 
four  other  large  fellows  dressed  in  gay 
clothes,  each  one  leaping  into  the  air  from 
time  to  time,  and  uttering  terrific  yells. 

THE   SACRIFICE 

Then  came  a  male  buffalo  about  a  year  old, 
four  ropes  tied  to  his  feet,  and  four  men 
holding  the  ropes,  also  a  man  following  with 
a  club,  which  he  frequently  used  to  urge 
the  poor  creature  forward.  As  they  came 
closer  to  us,  we  observed  that  the  nose  of 
the  animal  had  been  slit  open,  and  the  blood 
was    dripping    freely    from    the    cuts.      The 


172  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

tail  had  been  mutilated  and  streamed  with 
blood.  The  animal  wore  about  his  neck 
a  garland  of  marigolds,  roses,  and  jasmine. 
The  poor  thing  looked  indeed  pitiful  as  it 
was  led  toward  us  and  into  the  big  gate 
of  the  town. 

I  alighted  from  my  carriage  to  get  a  better 
view  of  all  they  did;  and  a  high-caste  Hindu, 
who  was  very  respectful  to  me,  pushed  the 
people  to  one  side,  so  that  I  could  fully  ob- 
serve the  ceremony.  It  might  be  stated  here 
that  while  these  Hindus  do  not  usually  slay 
animals  for  food,  they  frequently  sacrifice 
them  for  offerings  to  their  gods. 

The  people  were  wild  with  excitement. 
The  musicians  played  with  all  their  might, 
and  in  the  most  discordant  manner.  The 
noise  increased  in  volume  until  I  felt  al- 
most lifted  off  my  feet.  As  soon  as  the 
procession  halted  before  the  village  gate, 
the  people  all  gave  one  tremendous  shout, 
and  a  circle  was  formed,  with  the  buffalo 
standing  in  the  midst. 

A  LOATHSOME   SPECTACLE 

Suddenly  the  head  man,  in  his  long  blue 
coat,  rushed  forward,  shrieked,  leaped  into 
the  air,  swung  his  glittering  sword,  and  gave 


(173) 


174  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

one  wicked  blow  on  the  top  of  the  neck  of 
the  annual.  It  made  but  a  small  gash. 
Then  the  second  man  leaped  like  mad,  as 
the  first  had  done,  and  gave  a  cut;  then  a 
third,  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth,  and  so  on,  one 
after  the  other  in  rapid  succession,  until 
the  blood  splashed  in  all  directions,  besmear- 
ing those  who  stood  near.  They  chopped  and 
chopped  until  the  head  was  hacked  off,  and 
fell  rolling  in  the  pool  of  blood  on  the 
ground.  The  poor,  suffering,  quivering  crea- 
ture had  repeatedly  fallen  down  from  ex- 
haustion, but  as  many  times  had  been  pulled 
up  by  the  men  who  held  the  four  ropes  tied 
to  its  legs;  so  after  the  head  was  gone,  it 
stood  there  headless, —  a  cruel,  revolting,  and 
loathsome  spectacle. 

The  multitudes  rushed  madly  forward  with 
little  branches  from  the  trees,  and  first  dip- 
ping them  in  the  blood,  ran  to  their  fields 
and  homes  to  sprinkle  the  blood  there,  hop- 
ing thus  to  gain  protection  and  prosperity. 
Then  they  dug  up  the  big  flat  stones  in 
the  middle  of  the  gate,  pulled  out  the  buf- 
falo's head  buried  there  the  year  before, 
and  put  this  new  head  in  its  place.  Then 
the  flat  stones  were  replaced,  and  the  cere- 
mony was  over. 


Bloody  Offerings  175 

As  the  multitude  went  in  and  out  of  that 
gate  all  the  year,  they  would  always  re- 
member that  a  bloody  offering  had  been 
made  for  the  sins  of  all  the  people;  but  they 
knew  not  the  only  efficient  sacrifice,  the 
Lamb  of  God,  slain  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 
I  felt  stunned,  and  almost  too  overcome  to 
get  into  my  carriage. 

As  I  turned  away,  my  pent-up  spirits 
found  relief  in  crying  to  God,  "How  long, 
O  Lord,  how  long?"  How  long  will  it  be 
before  these  poor  men  and  women  shall  be 
taught  that  "it  is  not  possible  that  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take  away  sins"? 
How  long  will  they  be  left  to  sit  in  such 
darkness  and  superstition?  How  long  be- 
fore the  Christians  of  the  world  will  awake 
to  the  command  of  the  Lord,  "Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature"?  There  are  a  few  mission- 
aries in  those  parts,  and  they  are  "up  and 
at  it"  early  and  late;  but  the  multitudes  are 
so  great!  Millions  are  dying  without  the 
bread  of  life.  A  few  scattered  workers 
cannot  reach  them  all,  and  so  they  perish, 
and  that  by  millions,  without  a  knowledge 
of  the  true  God  and  His  salvation. 


12 


176  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

It  takes  so  long  really  to  learn  the  lan- 
guages of  India,  to  minister  to  its  millions 
of  people,  that  we  need  to  send  out  mission 
workers  by  thousands.  I  think  it  may  be 
truthfully  said  that  in  America  and  other 
civilized  lands,  all  have  heard  of  Christ;  at 
least,  all  have  heard  enough  so  that  if  they 
want  to  be  saved,  they  may.  Yet  Christ  is 
forced  upon  men  there,  and  often  preached 
to  unwilling  ears,  while  over  here  they  have 
not  had  opportunity  even  to  hear  of  Him. 

But  to  return  to  our  story!  Driving 
toward  home,  we  had  gone  only  a  short 
distance  when  we  passed  another  great  pool 
of  blood  in  the  middle  of  a  public  highway, 
and  were  informed  that  the  sacrifice  of  a 
buffalo  had  been  made  there  that  day.  Two 
miles  farther  on  we  saw  still  another  male 
buffalo  with  his  nose  slit,  being  driven  about 
another  village. 

THE   LIVING   FOUNTAIN 

We  two  missionaries  talked  the  matter  over 
between  ourselves,  and  both  determined  that 
we  would  work  harder,  and  be  more  devoted 
and  self-sacrificing,  than  ever  before,  for 
the  salvation  of  the  heathen.  We  also  pur- 
posed, by  the  grace  of  God,  to  be  as  zealous 


Bloody  Oferings  177 

as  possible  in  stirring  up  an  interest  in  all 
the  world  for  others  to  assist  us  in  this 
great  work  assigned  to  the  church.  If  people 
should  say  to  us,  as  they  said  to  Paul,  "Thou 
art  beside  thyself,"  well  and  good.  No  mat- 
ter what  they  say,  we  know  that  millions  of 
souls  are  daily  passing  away  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  way  of  eternal  life.  We  can 
afford  to  be  misunderstood,  and  considered 
beside  ourselves,  or  enthusiasts,  if  thereby 
the  great  object  of  the  atonement  may  be 
made  more  prominent,  and  if  more  will  heed 
the  call,  and  give  themselves  and  their  money 
for  this  great  cause. 

Why  do  so  many  push  this  great  subject 
to  one  side?  Why  do  they  treat  it  so  lightly? 
Why  do  they  pray  and  give  so  little?  Why 
do  they  live  in  luxury  and  comfort,  when 
men  and  women  by  millions  are  dying  for 
the  bread  of  life?  "To  him  that  knoweth 
to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is 
sin."  "And  that  servant,  which  knew  his 
lord's  will,  and  prepared  not  himself,  neither 
did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with 
many  stripes." 

May  God  help  you,  my  friends,  to  obey 
Him,  and  send  the  gospel  to  India  and  to 
all  who  have  it  not. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Balid 
Mrs.  Balid  was  one  of  our  famine  girls  in  1900,  now 
certified  teacher  and  nurse.     They  were  recently 
married  at  Kalyan.     Both  are  members 

of  the  Kalyan  church. 
(178) 


CHAPTER     XII 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit 

HEN  Philip  the  evangelist  was  con- 
ducting a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
villages  of  Samaria,  the  Holy  Spirit 
spoke  to  him,  and  said,  "Arise,  and 
go  toward  the  south  .  .  .  unto  Gaza." 
Philip  immediately  obeyed.  On  his  way, 
he  met  a  high  Ethiopian  official,  who  was 
converted  and  baptized.  We  are  told  that 
this  man  went  to  Egypt  and  preached  the 
gospel   there. 

If  Philip  had  reasoned  concerning  his 
work  in  the  villages  as  men  are  wont  to 
reason,  perhaps  the  man  of  Ethiopia  would 
have  been  lost.  Philip  might  have  said,  "I 
am  doing  a  great  work  in  these  towns,  Lord, 
and  it  seems  unreasonable  for  me  to  leave 
such  a  promising  field  of  labor  for  a  'one- 
man  appointment,'  and  out  in  the  country 
too."  But  he  did  not  reason  that  way. 
When  the  Holy  Spirit  spoke,  he  was  prompt 
to  respond.  When  we  walk  with  the  Lord, 
we  are  always  prompt  to  do  as  He  suggests, 
and  the  results  are  blessed  with  divine  fruit. 

(179) 


180  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

We  have  seen  this  repeatedly  in  the  mis- 
sion field  in  India.  I  was  seeking  to  walk 
very  closely  with  the  Lord,  and  desirous 
of  bringing  His  blessing  to  other  souls. 
On  a  certain  New  Year's  Day,  a  Christian 
friend  and  his  family  had  arranged  to  take 
lunch  in  the  forest,  amid  the  beauties  of 
nature,  and  I  was  invited  to  enjoy  the  oc- 
casion with  them. 

GO  PREACH 

It  was  a  real  treat  to  eat  one  meal  out 
among  God's  spreading  shade  trees,  remind- 
ing me  of  happy  days  at  camp  meetings  in 
the  homeland.  No  sooner  was  lunch  over 
than  the  Holy  Spirit  began  to  speak  to 
my  heart,  saying,  "Go  preach;"  but  was  I 
not  taking  a  "day  off"  with  that  good  brother 
who  worked  so  hard  in  the  government  office 
all  the  year?  Still  the  voice  said,  "Go 
preach."  When  I  told  my  host,  he  said, 
"Obey  the  Lord,  and  go  preach."  So  my 
horse  was  saddled,  and  I  was  off  to  a  vil- 
lage I  had  never  visited  before.  Often  be- 
fore, as  I  had  passed  near  this  village,  my 
heart  had  been  moved  to  turn  in,  but  I 
had   felt   that   I   could   not   spare   the   time. 

The  very  hills  and  valleys  seemed  filled 
with  the   divine  presence   as   I   pursued  my 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit  181 

journey.  I  recall  even  now  the  very  turns 
in  the  road,  and  remember  the  places  where 
my  soul  was  specially  blessed  in  obeying  His 
sweet  voice.  With  a  note  of  victory  I  sang 
till  the  hills  resounded  with  praises  that  day. 
The  village  was  reached  about  four  o'clock 
that  afternoon.  Few  people  were  in  sight, 
and  I  was  tempted  to  think  I  could  not 
gain  an  audience.  But  I  felt  sure  of  my 
call,  and  believed  that  God  must  have  hearts 
there  ready  to  receive  the  message;  so,  halt- 
ing in  front  of  the  resthouse  and  temple, 
I  began  to  sing  a  Christian  song.  Soon  the 
people,  hearing  the  singing,  and  wondering 
what  was  taking  place,  began  to  come  from 
all  directions.  By  the  time  I  ceased  sing- 
ing, a  good-sized  congregation  was  quietly 
seated  on  the  ground  in  front  of  me.  I  read 
the  word  of  God  to  men  who  probably 
heard  it  for  the  first  time.  They  listened 
intently,  and  my  own  heart  was  made  glad 
as  I  beheld  them. 

LISTENING  TO  THE  GOSPEL 

The  text  I  had  chosen,  "Have  faith  in 
God,"  opened  up  as  I  spoke,  and  thoughts 
from  the  Lord  followed  each  other  as  fast 
as  I  could  utter  them.     I   felt  special  help 


182  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

from  above,  and  an  assurance  that  God 
would  bless  the  message.  The  people  had 
never  heard  a  Christian  address  before,  but 
assented  to  the  truth  that  there  is  but  one 
true  and  living  God,  and  that  we  should  all 
obey  and  trust  in  Him.  They  acknowledged 
that  they  were  all  sinners.  How  reasonable 
the  claims  of  Christ  appear,  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  speaks  to  the  hearts  of  men!  That 
whole  company  of  heathen  believed  the  gospel 
message  that  afternoon.  Repeatedly  they 
said,   "True,   true,"   and  "Yes,   yes." 

I  felt  inspired  with  a  royal  message,  and 
delivered  it  as  best  I  could.  Presently  I 
observed  one  man  much  moved.  Then  I 
pressed  home  the  message,  and  made  several 
practical  applications  of  it.  I  showed  how 
sin  had  separated  us  from  the  true  God, 
whom  we  should  all  love  and  obey,  and  that 
faith  is  the  simple  means  by  which  we  are 
to  come  back  to  our  heavenly  Father,  and 
make  Him  a  living  reality  in  our  lives. 

That  one  poor  heathen  saw  the  point. 
His  eyes  moistened  as  he  felt  his  load  of 
sins,  and  longed  for  deliverance  from 
them.  Presently  he  exclaimed,  ''Buss!  BussT 
("That's  enough!")  Then  he  stood  up,  and 
asked   if  he  might  have   that  experience   of 


Obeying  the  Holy  Sjnnt  183 

the  knowledge  of  sins  forgiven.  I  assured 
him  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  and 
that  whosoever  will  may  come  and  partake 
of   the   water   of   life   freely. 

Then  I  told  the  people  we  would  all  kneel 
before  the  one  true  God,  and  pray  to  Him, 
and  He  would  hear  our  request.  They  had 
never  seen  a  man  pray  to  the  true  God  be- 
fore, so  they  could  hardly  be  expected  to 
close  their  eyes.  How  glad  I  was  that  I 
could  teach  them  how  to  call  upon  our  God 
in  the  name  of  His  Son  Jesus  Christ! 

CONFESSING  CHRIST 

First  I  prayed  for  all  present;  then  for 
that  one  man,  so  evidently  moved  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Then  I  asked  him  to  pray 
for  himself;  and  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  he  cried  to  the  living  God  for  pardon 
of  sins  and  peace  of  mind.  He  confessed  his 
sins  in  a  very  frank  and  honest  spirit,  and 
continued  till  a  change  came  over  him; 
then  with  a  shining  face  he  arose,  and  asked, 
"Am  I  a  Christian  now?"  I  told  him  the 
Holy  Spirit  would  speak  to  his  heart,  and 
tell  him  if  his  sins  were  all  pardoned.  He 
said  he  felt  much  better,  and  that  he  had 
confessed  all. 


184  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

The  people  were  spellbound,  for  they  had 
never  witnessed  anything  like  that  before. 
Then  this  seeker  asked  a  question.  He  said 
that  the  Hindus  had  a  certain  custom,  and 
he  wanted  to  know  if  he  should  follow  it. 
When  they  forsake  one  idol  for  another, 
they  balance  the  idol  about  to  be  forsaken 
with  wheat,  and  then  throw  both  wheat  and 
idol  into  the  river.  He  asked  if  he  should 
weigh  his  idol  and  cast  it  into  the  river,  as 
he  had  accepted  Jesus  Christ. 

Before  I  could  think  of  an  appropriate 
reply,  some  one  in  the  audience  responded, 
''Nucko.nucho''  ("Don't,  don't").  But  after 
a  moment,  I  said  "Yes."  Then  they  all 
said  "Yes"  too.  To  weigh  the  idol  in  wheat 
surely  meant  counting  the  cost,  and  throw- 
ing all  into  the  river  meant  forsaking  the 
past.  There  was  in  it  the  thought  of  sacri- 
fice and  abandonment,  so  I  agreed.  The 
man  who  accepted  Christ  seemed  changed 
then  and  there.  Then  the  others  began  to 
say,  "We  will  watch  you,  and  see  if  you  live 
as  you  should  after  this." 

I  shall  always  believe  that  that  man  was 
converted  the  first  time  he  heard  the  gospel, — 
a  thing  which  is  seldom  seen  in  India,  but 
is  quite  possible  when  the  Holy   Spirit  has 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit 


185 


His  way.  Proper  conditions  must  produce 
certain  results.  What  a  pity  that  right  con- 
ditions are  not  always  met  in  every  service 
held  in  the  name  of  Christ! 

farewell' 

I  said  "Salaam"  to  all  the  friends  I  had 
made  at  that  service,  mounted  my  horse,  and 
drove  away;  but  that  poor  fellow  followed 
me  out  of  the  village,  and  talked  as  fast 
as  he  could  all  the  way.  He  told  me  he  had 
been  a  great  sinner,  but  that  now  he  wanted 
to  be  good.  He  pointed  out  his  little  home, 
and  said  he  had  a  wife  and  children. 


'Dhou,"  or  Washerman 


Weighing  His  Stone  Idol 
IN  Wheat 


186  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

When  I  left  him,  he  put  his  head  in  his 
hands,  and  touched  my  feet  with  his  fore- 
head. Of  course,  I  objected;  but  it  is  a 
mark  of  respect.  I  promised  to  call  again, 
and  went  on.  After  a  while,  I  kept  my 
promise,  and  did  call;  but  the  man  was  away 
at  work  in  the  jungles,  so  I  did  not  meet  him. 

Many  times  I  have  passed  that  village 
since  then,  but  I  have  never  found  the  time 
to  stop  and  preach,  or  to  inquire  about  that 
converted  man.  Sad,  was  it  not,  after  the 
Holy  Spirit  had  begun  such  a  work  in 
hearts?  But  the  missionary  cannot  reach 
all  he  desires,  nor  fill  all  the  calls.  The 
field  is  large,  and  we  can  only  sow  the  seed 
at  God's  bidding,  and  leave  Him  to  care 
for  the  work  that  is  beyond  our  power.  I 
trust  that  that  seeking  soul  is  still  depend- 
ing on  God  for  salvation.  But  how  should 
we  fare  if  we  had  no  one  to  preach  to  us 
and  frequently  tell  us  the  good  news? 

EIGHT  MEN  ASK  PRAYERS 

At  another  time,  three  of  us  missionaries 
were  conducting  a  service  in  another  village 
where  the  gospel  had  never  been  preached. 
We  felt  that  special  help  was  given  us  from 
above    at    this    place    also.      After    we    had 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit  187 

sung  a  hymn,  a  large  company  of  Hindus 
gathered  on  the  side  of  a  hill  to  listen.  We 
felt,  in  our  weakness,  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
came  into  that  meeting,  and  blessed  those 
present.  They  gave  excellent  attention;  and 
when  we  invited  those  who  washed  to  seek 
Christ  to  come  forward,  eight  able-bodied 
men  came  to  the  front,  and  knelt  while  we 
prayed  for  them.  We  were  never  free  to 
return  to  that  village,  so  they  too  were  left 
to  the  mercy  and  love  of  God. 

After  a  meeting  in  another  village,  a  young 
man  quietly  slipped  some  fruit  into  our 
hands,  a  thing  quite  unusual.  It  meant 
much  for  a  Hindu  thus  to  treat  Europeans. 
The  next  time  we  held  a  service  in  that 
place,  two  young  men  followed  us  out  of 
the  village.  When  they  saw  that  they  were 
quite  by  themselves,  they  opened  their  hearts, 
and  said  they  believed  in  Christ,  and  desired 
to  become  His  disciples. 

"But,"  they  continued,  "if  we  follow  Christ, 
our  people  will  forsake  us  and  cut  us  off 
from  the  inheritance."  Thus  they  would  lose 
all  right  to  property  and  home.  They 
begged  us  to  advise  them  as  to  what  course 
they  should  pursue.  We  could  only  say, 
"Follow   Christ,   and   He   will   provide." 


188  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Still  another  young  man  used  to  visit  us 
at  the  mission  house  at  night  to  read  the 
Bible  and  to  propound  questions  —  a  Nico- 
demus,  it  is  true,  yet  one  upon  whose  heart 
the  grace  of  God  had  fallen,  and  caused  a 
desire  to  accept  the  truth. 

One  day,  the  inspector  of  public  schools, 
a  portly  looking  Brahman  gentleman,  who 
spoke  English  fluently,  called  for  a  short 
visit.  In  the  course  of  his  call,  he  asked  for 
a  New  Testament,  and  desired  us  to  select 
certain  portions  of  special  interest  for  him 
to  read  and  study.  After  a  few  weeks,  he 
returned  the  book  with  thanks,  and  then 
asked  me  several  questions  about  what  he 
had  read. 

Many  similar  instances  might  be  related. 
The  heathen  are  not  all  poor  and  ignorant; 
some  of  them  are  teachers,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians, men  of  ability,  with  excellent  posi- 
tions. Many  from  these  classes  are  seekers 
after  truth;  but  "how  shall  they  hear  with- 
out a  preacher?  and  how  shall  they  preach, 
except  they  be  sent?" 

Seldom  in  America  will  a  man  come  to 
a  preacher,  and  confess  his  desire  for  truth; 
but  there  are  thousands  in  India  and  other 
heathen  lands  who  do  this.     As  a  financial 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit  189 

investment,  it  pays  better  to  put  one's  money 
into  foreign  missions  than  into  home  mis- 
sions; for  to  save  a  soul  costs  less  money  in 
heathen  lands  than  it  does  in  America. 

A  WHOLE  VILLAGE   CALL  FOR  HELP 

One  afternoon,  we  were  preaching  to  sev- 
eral thousands  of  people  in  a  market  place. 
They  had  given  excellent  attention,  and  we 
were  about  to  sing  the  closing  hymn,  when 
a  Hindu  priest  drew  near  to  say  there  were 
a  number  of  questions  he  wanted  to  ask 
about  the  Christian  religion.  To  avoid  public 
controversy,  something  that  Hindu  priests 
often  raise  for  the  purpose  of  confusing  the 
minds  of  the  people,  we  courteously  invited 
him  to  our  home,  and  promised  to  reply  to 
all  the  questions  he  wished  to  ask. 

The  next  morning,  bright  and  early,  he 
arrived  with  three  of  his  disciples,  and  sev- 
eral hours  were  spent  in  reading  the  New 
Testament  in  Marathi.  Then  they  care- 
fully looked  through  our  songbooks,  and 
finally  asked  for  books  to  take  home  with 
them.  We  thought  we  might  never  see 
them  again,  but  prayed  that  the  word  spoken 
might  fall  into  good  ground.  In  about  two 
weeks,  the  same  priest  returned  with  a  large 


190  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

band  of  followers,  pleading  with  us  to  visit 
their  village,  as  they  had  all  decided  to  be- 
come Christians. 

^*^COME  OVER   .    .    .   AND   HELP  US^' 

In  some  instances,  men  have  brought  let- 
ters of  invitation  signed  by  long  lists  of 
villagers,  to  come  and  visit  them.  They  have 
walked  long  distances  and  waited  several 
days,  hoping  we  would  return  to  their  place 
of  abode  with  them.  Then  they  have  sent 
postals  and  letters,  but  we  have  not  been 
able  to  go  nor  to  send  any  one.  Who  ever 
hears  of  such  instances  in  civilized  lands?  In 
other  cases,  they  have  offered  us  land,  build- 
ings, and  wells,  if  we  would  only  come  and 
instruct  them.  They  know  that  Christianity 
is  uplifting,  and  they  ask  only  for  a  teacher 
to  show  them  the  way. 

In  many  places,  the  cry  is  to-day,  as  it 
was  in  the  days  of  the  apostle  Paul,  "Come 
over  .  .  .  and  help  us."  We  had  a  native 
schoolmaster  stationed  in  a  small  village, 
which  we  visited  from  time  to  time,  as  ^such 
a  native  preacher  or  teacher  often  serves  as 
the  connecting  link  between  the  people  and 
the  missionary.  This  man  arranged  for  a 
preaching  service  for  us  at  a  certain  place 


Obeying  the  Holy  Spirit  191 

and  hour.  The  house  was  too  small  for 
those  who  came,  so  we  assembled  outside  in 
the  court.  There,  beneath  the  stars,  we  told 
the  old,  old  story.  As  soon  as  the  service 
ended,  a  high-caste  man  requested  a  private 
interview.  I  consented,  and  he  told  me  of 
his  great  desire  to  follow  Christ.  I  prayed 
for  him,  and  instructed  the  master  to  help 
hun  all  he  could,  promising  to  meet  them 
both  again  soon. 

Imagine  my  surprise  a  few  nights  later, 
when  I  was  called  up  at  eleven  o'clock  by 
the  master  and  this  young  man,  the  latter 
asking  for  baptism.  He  had  walked  fourteen 
miles  to  accept  Christ  thus  publicly. 

The  young  man  remained  with  us  a  few 
days,  in  which  time  we  had  a  public  baptismal 
service  at  the  lake.  We  had  instructed  him 
that  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  cut 
off  his  sacred  thread,  the  sign  of  a  high-caste 
man,  also  his  sacred  lock  of  hair,  or  shandi. 
To  this  he  readily  consented.  When  we 
drove  to  the  lake  for  the  service,  I  took  my 
scissors  with  me,  as  usual;  but  to  my  sur- 
prise, these  sacred  signs  of  Hinduism  were 
already  cut  off,  the  young  man  himself  hav- 
ing removed  them.  How  gladly  we  bap- 
tized him   when  we   saw   this   expression   of 

13 


192  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

his  sincerity  and  bold  faith  in  Christ!  It 
meant  very  much  to  that  young  man  to 
part  with  those  signs  of  his  old  faith,  but 
he  counted  all  things  as  naught  for  Christ. 
He  afterward  suffered  great  persecution 
from  his  own  people;  but  he  held  fast  to 
his  faith,  and  eventually  married  a  Chris- 
tian girl.  So  far  as  we  know,  he  is  still 
loyal  to  the  truth. 

When  Spirit-filled  missionaries  learn  the 
language  of  the  people,  they  may  see  great 
ingatherings  almost  anywhere  in  India.  "Not 
by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  My  Spirit, 
saith  the  Lord." 


CHAPTER     XIII 


Was  It  Worth  While?         ^ 


UR  weekly  village  bazaar,  or  market 
day,  came  on  our  rest  day;  so  we 
could  not  purchase  our  week's  sup- 
plies in  our  own  town.  On  this  ac- 
count, we  did  our  marketing  at 
Deolghat,  a  village  five  miles  distant.  In 
February,  1900,  the  famine  which  afterward 
proved  so  severe  had  just  begun  in  Central 
India.  Rain  had  not  fallen  for  several 
months;  grain  was  scarce,  and  those  who  had 
it  for  sale  demanded  unreasonable  prices. 
A  missionary  brother  accompanied  me  to 
Deolghat  bazaar  in  our  two-wheeled  bullock 
cart,  or  tonga.  We  drove  to  the  edge  of 
the  large  crowd  at  the  bazaar,  unyoked  our 
bullocks  for  rest  and  feed  under  a  large 
tamarind  tree,  and  sauntered  off  to  do  our 
marketing.  We  had  gone  but  a  few  steps 
when  we  saw  a  wretched-looking  creature, 
a  tall,  skeleton-like  black  man,  squatting 
on  the  public  highway,  and  drew  closer  to 
get  a  better  view.  Multitudes  of  Hindus 
and  Mohammedans  were  passing,  but  none 
seemed  to  notice  this  man. 

(193) 


194  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

Our  sympathies  were  stirred  to  the  depths, 
and  we  could  scarcely  believe  our  eyes.  He 
looked  more  like  an  animal  than  a  man;  his 
body  was  nearly  nude ;  his  nails  were  long  and 
claw-like;  he  wore  less  than  a  yard  of  cloth, 
a  dirty  rag;  his  hair  was  alive  with  vermin; 
we  could  count  every  rib;  his  stomach  was 
basin-like  and  empty;  his  knees  seemed  like 
huge  bony  balls, —  a  ghastly  sight,  filthy, 
helpless,  degraded.  He  was  far  too  weak 
to  stand  alone. 

FIRST   AID 

Solid  food  would  not  digest  in  such  a 
stomach,  yet  he  was  starving.  When  he 
saw  us  pause  to  look  at  him,  he  touched  his 
forehead  to  say  "Salaam,"  and  then  his 
empty  stomach  to  show  his  great  need.  One 
could  not  resist  his  pathetic  appeal.  We 
bought  him  a  measure  of  parched  peas;  but 
how  could  a  skeleton  receive  them?  He  had 
no  pockets,  for  he  wore  no  clothes.  Spread- 
ing a  clean  white  handkerchief  on  the  ground, 
we  poured  the  peas  into  it,  and  gave  them 
to  him;  then  with  a  sigh  we  turned  away 
with  the  thought,  "He  will  die  in  a  few 
hours." 


Was  It  Worth  While? 


195 


After  filling  the  tonga  boxes  with  our 
purchases,  we  sang  a  hymn.  This  drew  a 
crowd  of  listeners  about  us,  and  we  told 
them  of  Jesus  and  His  power  to  save;  for 
these  large  markets  afford  splendid  oppor- 
tunities to  preach,  dispose  of  tracts,  and  win 
the  hearts  of  the  heathen. 

Before  leaving  the  market,  we  went  again 
to  the  place  where  we  had  met  the  man  in 
need;  and  when  we  found  him,  a  new  thought 
presented  itself.  Christianity  was  being  chal- 
lenged. Hindus  passed  by,  but  did  not  help ; 
Mohammedans  did  the  same.  There  were 
no  Christians  in  that  vast  throng  of  human 


The  Way  We  Travel  Our  Country  Roads 


196  Frvit  from  the  Jungle 

beings  save  iis  two  missionaries.  Should 
Christianity  and  her  representatives  pass  by, 
and  leave  this  needy  man  to  die  like  a  dog? 
The  heathen  system  of  religion  had  brought 
him  to  this  sad  state,  and  now,  indifferent  to 
his  great  need,  its  people  moved  on  uncon- 
cerned. "Actions  speak  louder  than  words;" 
and  here  was  an  opportunity  to  hold  up 
Christ  to  the  masses  in  a  practical  way,  and 
possibly  to  save  a  soul  from  death.  We 
asked  the  beggar  his  name;  and  in  a  pitiful 
voice  he  replied,  "Rama."  He  had  no  home, 
and  slept  beside  the  road,  or  wherever  night 
cast  her  mantle  of  darkness   over  him. 

"Will  you  get  into  the  tonga,  and  go  home 
with  us?  We  have  milk,  clothes,  and  shelter 
for  you,  and  will  give  you  all  the  care  you 
need,"  we  said. 

Rama  quickly  signified  his  willingness  to 
go,  and  grasped  his  hoe  (his  only  possession, 
which  in  his  weakness  he  could  scarcely  lift) 
the  closer,  as  if  it  might  some  day  help  him 
earn  his  daily  bread. 

AN  EARTH  DIGGER 

All  heathen  in  India  belong  to  some  special 
caste.  On  inquiry,  we  found  that  Rama 
was  a  wadari,  or  earth  digger.     These  people 


Was  It  Worth  While? 


197 


are  very  ignorant  and  poor,  and  roam  from 
j)lace  to  place,  living  in  low  grass  huts  or 
in  small  tents  made  of  ragged  patchwork. 
For  food,  they  snare  rabbits,  quail,  and  other 
small  game;  they  also  relish  roasted  rats  and 
lizards.  They  do  not  attend  school,  and  are 
considered  of  so  low  a  caste  that  they  do 
not  need  to  know  letters  or  their  ages.  They 
need  not  know  much  in  order  to  dig  earth; 
so  the  Hindus  leave  them  to  themselves,  to 
live  and  die  as  ignorant  as  they  were  born. 


I    •fi'"^r^ 


A    Feat    of    Strength — Loaded 
WITH  Iron  Chains 


A  "Sadu,"  or  "Holy  Man' 


198  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

We  helped  Rama  to  the  front  step  of  our 
tonga  (he  could  not  sit  up  on  the  seat,  so 
sat  on  the  floor),  drove  home  as  quickly  as 
possible,  gently  assisted  him  to  a  little  house 
near  our  carriage  shed,  and  gave  him  some 
bags  for  a  bed,  and  a  blanket  for  covering. 
He  drank  a  bowl  of  warm  milk,  and  we 
said,  ''Nezaf'  ("Good  night"),  and  left  him 
to  rest. 

On  making  our  rounds  in  the  morning,  we 
found  Rama  shivering  with  the  cold,  al- 
though, to  our  way  of  thinking,  the  day  was 
warm  and  sultry.  He  had  so  little  fuel  to 
feed  the  engine  of  life,  that  his  condition  was 
far  from  normal.  His  flesh  looked  parched 
and  dry,  like  a  piece  of  old  leather. 

We  propped  him  up  beside  a  tree  in  the 
warm  morning  sunlight,  and  read  to  him  a 
short  Bible  chapter;  but  he  said  he  did  not 
understand.  We  talked  about  God,  the 
Father  of  us  all;  but  he  had  never  heard 
"Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven."  He  was 
not  stupid,  but  ignorant  of  all  that  Christian 
men  hold  in  common.  We  prayed  for  him, 
and  left  him  to  bask  in  the  sunshine. 

As  soon  as  our  orphan  lads  had  their  noon- 
day meal,  we  called  the  older  ones  to  help 
us  make  Rama  more  comfortable.     First  we 


Wa^  It  Worth  While?  199 

cut  off  the  long  locks  of  hair;  then,  using 
plenty  of  soap,  warm  water,  and  a  scrubbing 
brush,  we  gave  him  a  good  bath,  cut  his  long 
nails,  and  rubbed  about  a  pint  of  coconut 
oil  over  his  parched  body.  For  several  days, 
this  treatment  was  repeated,  until  the  old 
skin  peeled  off,  and  new  appeared.  We  gave 
him  clean  clothes,  which  made  him  very  com- 
fortable. 

Once  Rama  wandered  off  to  the  bazaar, 
or  market,  practically  crawling  on  his  hands 
and  knees.  While  there,  he  begged  raw 
carrots  to  eat,  which  made  him  deathly  sick. 

The  mission  boys  daily  prayed  for  Rama; 
and  in  a  short  time,  he  began  to  show  signs 
of  improvement.  For  many  weeks,  he  was 
unable  to  walk,  having  entirely  lost  the  use 
of  his  knees.  One  night,  with  assistance,  he 
attended  our  boys'  evening  devotions.  That 
evening,  special  prayer  was  offered.  Rama 
sat  in  wonder,  and  listened  to  all  that  was 
said.     We  sang  the  chorus, 

"I  love  Jesus.    He's  my  Saviour. 
Jesus  smiles,  and  loves  me  too." 

Suddenly  a  gleam  of  light  passed  over 
Rama's  countenance;  he  had  caught  the  spirit 
and  meaning  of  that  song.     It  did  him  good, 


200  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

gave  him  a  new  hope,  a  new  desire;  so  we 
repeated  the  song  again  and  again.  Then  we 
asked,  "Do  you  want  this  Saviour  too?" 

"Yes,"  was  the  quick  reply. 

We  all  knelt,  and  unitedly  and  earnestly 
prayed  that  Rama  might  be  converted  to 
Christ  that  night.  He  prayed  for  himself, 
and  said,  "O  Lord,  make  me  happy  too." 
Suddenly  the  Spirit  of  God  touched  his 
spirit,  and  the  great  change  took  place.  By 
faith,  he  became  a  Christian,  and  confessed 
and  accepted  Christ,  our  Redeemer. 

Rama  has  never  been  the  same  since  that 
night.  Old  things  passed  away,  and  all 
things  became  new.  Then  he  followed  Christ 
in  baptism,  took  a  bold  stand  before  the 
world,  and  has  since  prayed  and  testified  as 
well  as  given  his  offerings  to  the  Lord. 

DAYS   OF   FAMINE 

Famine  pressed  in  upon  us  from  all  sides, 
until  we  were  surrounded  by  hundreds  of 
starving  people  who  cried  for  labor  and 
bread.  Water  was  very  scarce,  and  we 
gave  it  out  a  cup  at  a  time.  We  employed 
about  five  hundred  of  these  poor  people  for 
eight  months.  Rama  willingly  joined  their 
ranks,  and  labored  with  the  rest  for  six  cents 


Wa^  It  Worth  While?  201 

a  day.  He  was  able  to  testify  for  Christ  and 
what  had  been  done  for  him,  thus  proving  a 
valuable  witness  before  many  souls. 

During  this  famine  period,  the  missionaries 
in  the  country  gathered  the  boys  and  girls 
who  have  since  become  such  a  noble  army 
for  Christ  in  the  church  of  India.  Among 
the  young  people,  w^e  gathered  in  one  Shanti- 
Bai,  who  became  a  Christian  shortly  after 
coming  to  us.  Her  brother  and  aunt  also 
joined  our  ranks.  For  a  few  days,  Shanti- 
Bai  attended  our  girls'  school;  but  to  her 
it  was  irksome.  She  preferred  her  old  work, 
laboring  in  stone  and  mortar  with  the  others 
of  her  lot. 

It  was  difficult  to  find  places  for  all  these 
people.    Rama  had  a  little  loft  over  the  sheep 


An  Indian  Woman  Cooking  Bread 


202  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

pen  in  our  barn,  where  he  slept  happily  and 
peacefully.  He  had  grown  as  fat  as  an 
Eskimo/  and  was  ahvays  ready  to  do  any 
kind  of  w^ork.  He  made  his  own  bread,  if 
not  the  best  in  the  world. 

One  day,  he  had  better  bread  than  usual; 
and  when  we  inquired  the  reason  for  this,  he 
told  us  that  Shanti-Bai  had  made  it.  He 
had  concluded  that  a  woman  could  make 
better  bread  than  a  man,  and  had  engaged 
Shanti-Bai  to  make  his  bread  always.  I 
am  sure  no  one  could  object  to  this  plan. 

A  CHRISTIAN  WEDDING 

As  the  famine  drew  to  a  close,  and  the 
people  were  soon  to  depart  to  their  respective 
villages,  it  was  decided  to  celebrate  the  oc- 
casion with  a  Christian  wedding.  This  was 
a  novel  thing  in  these  parts,  as  nothing 
of  the  kind  had  ever  taken  place.  Rama 
and  Shanti-Bai  were  the  honored  couple. 
Surely  the  mission  could  afford  to  give 
Shanti-Bai  a  new  sardi,  or  dress,  costing 
about  fifty  cents,  and  Rama  a  white  suit  and 
a  red  turban.  The  wedding  was  solemnized 
in  the  large  front  hall  of  the  mission  house,  the 
place  used  regularly  for  meetings.      Every- 


Was  It  Worth  While?  203 

body  was  invited,  although  no  cards  were 
sent  out. 

When  the  day  arrived,  the  place  was 
crowded  with  animated  faces.  The  room  had 
been  decorated  with  cartloads  of  green  boughs 
and  pink  oleander  blossoms.  The  wedding 
march  was  a  gospel  hymn.  The  boys  and 
girls  sat  in  a  solid  phalanx  on  the  floor, 
clothed  in  their  red,  white,  and  blue  costumes, 
while  they  chanted  beautiful  Christian  songs 
in  their  native  tongue,  clapping  their  hands 
together  on  the  chorus,  in  which  their  voices 
swelled  with  delightful  rhythm  and  unison. 
What  a  happy  moment!  Happy,  yes,  very 
happy,  never  to  be  forgotten! 

The  couple  were  self-possessed,  and  an- 
swered all  the  questions  readily.  The  prayer 
and  benediction  over,  congratulations  were  in 
order.  As  the  happy  pair  turned  toward 
the  audience,  I  first  shook  hands  with  the 
groom  and  then  with  the  bride;  but  the  oc- 
casion was  too  much  for  her,  and  suddenly, 
to  my  amazement,  she  threw  her  arms  around 
me,  and  cried,  "Oh,  papa!  Oh,  papa!"  The 
audience  joined  in  a  hearty  laugh,  and  every- 
body offered  congratulations  and  good  wishes. 

The  couple  were  treated  to  English  bread 
and  jam,  then  escorted  to  their  new  home  in 


204  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

one  of  our  mission  houses.  They  were  de- 
lighted with  the  goat's  hair  blankets,  brass 
ware,  and  other  useful  articles  presented  to 
them  by  their  many  Christian  friends.  Thus 
they  began  life  anew. 

For  several  years,  they  have  been  walk- 
ing in  the  narrow  way.  Their  humble  but 
happy  Christian  home  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children.  The  boy  died;  but  the  little 
girl  lives,  and  is  being  trained  as  a  Christian 
child.  These  parents  labor  for  their  daily 
bread,  attend  the  services  of  the  house  of 
God,  and  have  the  common  comforts  of  life. 
How  much  better  off  they  are  to-day  than 
they  used  to  be!  "He  that  winneth  souls 
is  wise." 


CHAPTER     XIV 


''One  Sows,  Another  Reaps'' 

HE  word  of  God  teaches  us  to  "sow 
beside  all  waters."  At  times,  we  may 
be  tempted  to  think  it  almost  useless 
to  work  among  certain  classes  of 
God's  fallen  creatures,  who  may  not 
readily  receive  the  message,  and  whose  in- 
different attitude  leads  us  to  conclude  that 
they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  the  gospel. 
There  is  no  greater  mistake  than  this. 

We  should  never  forget  that  "God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons;"  that  every  man, 
whether  black  or  white,  has  a  soul  to  be 
saved  or  lost.  Perhaps  the  reason  why  more 
are  not  reached,  is  because  of  some  failure 
on  our  part  in  the  use  of  the  means  pro- 
vided. It  is  our  business,  then,  to  "cast  the 
net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship;"  and  with 
the  divine  blessing  on  our  labors,  we  are 
sure  to  inclose  "a  great  multitude  of  fishes." 
No  one  was  ever  caught  in  the  gospel  net 
whom  God  could  not  bless  and  use  for  His 
own  glory.  The  chief  business  of  every 
Christian  should  be  to  save  souls;  but,  alas, 
how  few  who  profess  Christ  make  that  their 

(205) 


206  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

first  business!  We  have  proved  repeatedly, 
in  our  mission  work  in  India,  that  it  pays 
to  sow  the  seed  at  every  opportunity,  though 
we  may  never  foresee  "whether  shall  prosper, 
either  this  or  that,  or  whether  they  both  shall 
be  alike  good." 

The  tendency  of  the  natural  heart  is  to 
endeavor  to  win  the  most  attractive  to  Christ, 
those  who  have  education,  position,  and 
wealth.  But  Jesus,  our  model,  was  ever  as 
eager  to  lift  up  the  leper  and  the  beggar  as 
the  rich  man  and  the  Pharisee. 

THE  BEGGARS  OF  INDIA 

In  many  of  the  large  towns  in  India  may 
be  found  a  certain  class  of  human  beings 
pushed  outside  the  city  walls,  and  not  per- 
mitted to  live  alongside  of  others.  These 
people  are  usually  very  poor,  and  their  os- 
tracism makes  it  all  the  more  difficult  for 
them  to  get  on  in  the  world.  Pride  and 
selfishness  exalt  one  and  put  down  another, 
but  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  raises  all  to 
one  high  yet  humble  plane  of  common  in- 
terests. Selfishness  never  thinks  of  the  wel- 
fare of  others,  but  only  of  its  own;  and  it 
is  this  evil  thing  that  drives  a  certain  class 
of  poor  creatures  outside  the  city  walls,  treats 


14 


(207) 


208  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

them  as  outcasts,  and  cuts  them  off  from 
every  advantage  or  opportunity  of  gaining 
happiness  and  improvement. 

Such  a  group  of  beggars,  illiterate,  scantily 
clad,  and  very  poor,  had  made  for  themselves 
outside  the  city  wall  low  mud  houses,  and 
thatched  them  with  cotton  stalks  and  jungle 
grass.  Just  about  sunset,  when  the  people 
returned  from  their  day's  toil,  and  while 
their  scanty  evening  meal  was  being  pre- 
pared, we  used  to  visit  them,  and  sitting 
with  them  on  logs  and  straw  mats,  read  the 
Bible  and  sing  and  pray.  We  usually  took 
as  large  a  company  of  Christians  as  possible 
for  our  service.  The  poor  people  seemed  to 
appreciate  our  visits,  and  endeavored  in  every 
way  to  make  us  as  comfortable  as  they  could 
with  their  scanty  conveniences.  We  were 
deeply  moved  by  their  need,  and  longed  to 
lead  them  into  the  light  of  the  gospel. 

A  HINDU  PRIEST 

One  day,  we  observed  an  aged  man  among 
these  beggars,  and  by  his  salmon-colored 
gown  and  long  hair,  knew  him  for  a  Hindu 
priest.  During  the  meeting,  he  gave  special 
attention;  and  after  the  service,  I  felt  im- 
pressed to  tell  him  I  wished  he  could  read 


'One  Sows,  Another  Reaps' 


209 


for  himself  our  precious  Bible,  which  is  like 
a  bright  lamp  in  a  dark  night,  enabling  us 
to  see  the  path  ahead.  To  my  surprise,  he 
quickly  responded,  "I  can  read  it."  Then 
I  pointed  out  certain  portions  to  him;  and 
although  it  was  scarcely  light,  he  made  out 
the  words  very  well  indeed.  I  asked  him  if 
he  would  constantly  read  the  Bible  if  I  gave 
him  one. 

"Oh,  yes,"  was  the  quick  reply. 

By  this  time,  my  curiosity  was  somewhat 
aroused,  and  I  ventured  to  ask  him  more 
about  himself.  He  offered  no  objections, 
and  replied  freely  to  my  interrogations,  tell- 


A  Hindu  Priest  at  Worship 


Shuuker,  a  Devotee  of  Siva 


210  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

ing  me  that  he  had  been  a  Hindu  priest  for 
twenty  years.  But  it  was  late,  and  we  had 
practically  held  two  meetings  that  night,  so 
we  hastened  home,  praying  earnestly  that 
God  would  bless  the  seed  sown  that  day. 

FASTING   FOR   VICTORY 

At  such  times,  fasting  and  prayer  always 
bring  rich  returns;  so  we  denied  ourselves 
for  Jesus'  sake,  and  pleaded  for  special  vic- 
tories. The  following  day,  after  marking 
certain  portions  of  the  New  Testament,  we 
carried  a  Bible  to  this  inquirer,  and  had  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  him  read  from  it.  He 
was  delighted  with  the  gift,  and  promised 
again  to  make  it  a  special  study.  About 
that  time,  many  Bibles  were  distributed  in 
that  locality  to  those  who  showed  a  desire  to 
know  more  about  the  word  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

Can  you  imagine  our  joy  when,  a  few 
days  later,  the  old  priest  came  to  a  Christian 
service  in  our  home,  bringing  his  wife  and 
children  with  him,  and  formally  announced 
that  through  reading  this  Bible,  he  was  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  his 
one  great  desire  was  to  become  a  Christian? 
We  prayed  for  them,  that  their  sins  might 


''One  Sows,  Another  Reaps''         211 

be  forgiven;  and  they  all  professed  to  ac- 
cept Christ  as  their  personal  Saviour.  It 
was  our  habit,  as  soon  as  believers  had  really 
taken  the  one  great  step  of  repentance,  to 
baptize  them,  in  order  to  bury  the  past,  and 
cut  off  their  heathen  associations. 

We  were  to  leave  that  station  for  an- 
other, and  arranged  for  the  old  priest  and 
his  family  to  accompany  us  for  the  baptism. 
We  gave  him  the  name  of  Samuel  at  that 
time;  for  in  some  ways,  he  appeared  to  us 
like  an  old  prophet,  in  his  long  robe,  and 
with  his  long  hair  and  beard.  Samuel  gave 
up  his  tobacco  pipe,  and  his  opium  and  hemp 
smoking;  but  he  had  many  a  struggle  with 
the  enemy  over  these  habits.  Soon  after 
the  incident  recited  above  took  place,  we 
began  special  seasons  of  prayer  daily  at 
6  a.  m.  Samuel  was  always  present,  and 
took  great  delight  in  the  early  morning 
devotions.  His  life  was  very  consistent,  and 
from  the  first,  a  model  to  some  who  had 
been  longer  in  the  way. 

THE  RESULTS  OF  EARLY  INFLUENCES 

But  there  was  a  secret  in  Samuel's  life; 
and  for  some  time,  he  did  not  disclose  it  to 
us.     Did  we   not   say   that   "one   sows,    and 


212  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

another  reaps"?  This  had  been  the  case  in 
Samuel's  experience.  One  day,  as  I  sat  in 
a  quiet  spot  talking  with  our  old  Christian 
brother,  he  opened  his  heart,  and  told  me 
the  secret  of  his  conversion.  He  had  cast 
off  the  garb  of  the  Hindu  priest;  and  with 
my  own  hands,  I  had  cut  off  the  symbols  of 
Hinduism;  and  to  us,  Samuel  was  now  in 
every  respect  a  real  brother  in  Christ.  Per- 
haps our  kindly  attitude  toward  him  had 
inspired  confidence,  so  that  he  wanted  us 
to  know  him  as  he  really  was. 

Years  before,  when  he  was  yet  a  little 
boy,  he  had  worked  for  a  minister  of  the 
Church  of  England  who  was  evidently  a  sin- 
cere Christian,  and  desirous  that  all  about 
him  accept  the  God  he  loved  and  served. 
This  man  had  taken  a  great  interest  in 
Samuel,  which  grew  into  a  real  friendship, 
and  he  had  improved  the  opportunity  to  sow 
the  seed  of  truth  in  the  heart  of  the  young 
lad.  There  were  several  years,  he  said,  when 
he  considered  entering  the  service  of  God; 
but  the  work  of  repentance  had  not  gone 
deep  enough  into  his  heart,  his  better  judg- 
ment was  overcome,  and  he  had  spent  most 
of  his  life  in  the  service  of  the  devil,  wan- 
dering over  the  country  as  a  sadu,  or  priest. 


''One  Sows,  Another  Reaps"         213 

Thus  to  smother  the  sacred  influences  which 
still  strove  with  him,  and  to  dispel  all  light, 
he  had  sold  himself  to  the  enemy,  and  became 
a  heathen  priest.  He  acknowledged  that 
the  whole  system  was  only  one  of  deception 
and  black  arts. 

BECOMES  A   "home  FATHER" 

The  quiet  dignity  of  this  brother,  and  his 
kindly  influence  in  our  work,  led  us  to  as- 
sign to  him  the  very  important  position  of 
"home  father"  in  our  boys'  orphanage  school. 
It  was  a  pleasure  to  listen  to  his  mature  ex- 
hortations to  his  countrymen.  His  arguments 
were  solid  and  convincing;  and  for  months, 
he  was  a  real  support  in  the  establishment  of 
God's  kingdom  among  his  people.  But 
gradually  his  health  gave  way,  and  he  sick- 
ened and  died.  We  did  not  realize  how  highly 
we  had  esteemed  him,  until  he  was  gone. 

The  funeral  service  held  over  his  remains 
was  a  very  impressive  one.  When  Christ 
returns,  we  shall  confidently  look  for  Samuel 
among  those  who  now  sleep  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth. 

The  seed  was  sown  in  youth,  and  gathered 
in  old  age,  but  just  in  time  for  the  garner 
of  the  Lord. 


(214) 


CHAPTER     XV 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake 


LESSED  are  ye,  when  men  shall 
revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and 
shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely,  for  My  sake.  Rejoice, 
and  be  exceeding  glad:  for  great  is 
your  reward  in  heaven:  for  so  persecuted 
they  the  prophets  which  were  before  you." 
As  far  as  we  could  ascertain,  missionaries 
had  never  preached  the  gospel  in  Floodtown, 
where  we  decided  to  open  a  new  mission.  It 
was  a  well  watered,  rich,  and  prosperous  dis- 
trict. Large  areas  of  cotton,  grain,  and  fruit 
were  cultivated,  and  the  annual  income  was 
abundant.  The  heathen  residing  in  these 
towns  and  villages  lived  on,  quite  undis- 
turbed in  the  practice  of  their  fiendish  rites 
and  superstitious  customs.  Without  doubt, 
some,  perhaps  many,  of  the  upper  classes 
had  come  in  contact  with  the  foreigner,  and 
understood  that  his  religion  was  very  dif- 
ferent from  their  own;  but  no  glimmer  of 
light  had  reached  the  masses  of  the  people. 
Our  first  effort  among  them  was  the  dis- 
posal by  sale  of  small  portions  of  the  Scrip- 

(215) 


216  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

tures,  tracts,  and  leaflets.  Not  many,  how- 
ever, ventured  to  purchase  these;  and  the 
few  who  did  so  were  very  shy,  lest  they  bring 
the  censure  of  their  caste  people  upon  them- 
selves. As  we  frequented  their  daily  bazaar 
to  purchase  goods,  they  often  drew  them- 
selves aside,  as  if  our  shadow  or  touch  might 
possibly  break  their  caste  or  defile  them.  At 
first,  the  sensation  of  being  regarded  as  al- 
together unclean  is  not  very  pleasant;  but 
at  such  times,  these  words  are  a  comfort: 
"As  He  is,  so  are  we  in  this  world." 

That  unseen  but  conscious  evil  power  so 
often  realized  by  the  child  of  the  living  God 
in  heathen  lands,  was  very  prevalent  in  this 
field  of  labor.  At  times,  we  observed  the 
snarling  criticism  of  several  as  we  passed 
through  their  streets,  and  by  their  shrinking 
from  us,  were  constantly  made  to  feel  that 
we  were  not  wanted.  The  situation  was  de- 
pressing, ahd  often  convinced  us  that  we 
were  working  against  the  strongholds  of 
Satan. 

Sometimes  we  formed  a  small  circle  in  the 
main  thoroughfares  of  the  town,  and,  as 
best  we  could,  presented  the  gospel  message; 
but  as  often  we  felt  it  come  back  in  our 
faces.      For    a   long    time,    it    seemed    as    if 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  217 

absolutely  no  impression  was  being  made 
on  these  stony  hearts.  Our  only  hope  lay 
in  the  little  companies  of  children  we  had 
collected  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and 
these  among  the  lower  castes,  where  we  en- 
deavored to  carry  on  school  work  in  a  very 
simple  manner.  The  children  seemed  to 
feel  our  affection  for  and  interest  in  them, 
and  in  nearly  every  instance,  responded  in  a 
satisfactory  manner. 

Since  no  real  impression  was  being  made 
upon  the  people  of  that  town,  we  decided  to 
visit  some  of  the  smaller  villages  in  the  out- 
lying districts.  Whether  or  not  we  were 
merely  a  curiosity  to  the  villagers,  we  can- 
not say.  But  we  were  sure  our  efforts  among 
them  were  not  altogether  in  vain;  for  many 
of  them,  coming  into  town  to  the  regular 
weekly  market,  would  greet  us  with  smiling 
faces,  as  if  they  regarded  us  as  friends.  A 
few  gradually  lost  their  timidity,  and  came 
to  our  house  to  ask  questions  and  get  ac- 
quainted. 

When  the  cold  season  came  on,  we  planned 
to  visit  several  distant  villages  in  our  dis- 
trict, and  at  least  introduce  ourselves  and 
our  mission.  On  one  of  these  trips,  we 
gathered    a    comparatively    large    congrega- 


218  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

tion.  We  sought  to  be  very  discreet  in  all 
we  said,  so  as  not  to  be  misunderstood,  and 
for  a  while  held  their  undivided  attention; 
but  almost  in  an  instant,  there  arose  a  mur- 
mur, and  we  felt  that  they  too  were  against 
us.  Suddenly  a  stone  struck  one  of  us  on 
the  head. 

With  as  little  notice  of  the  incident  as 
possible,  we  proceeded  in  our  remarks,  when 
another  missile  fell,  then  another  and  an- 
other. Thicker  and  faster  they  fell,  in  a 
perfect  shower,  so  that  the  listeners  dis- 
persed, and  we  were  left  in  the  midst  of 
the  excited,  angry  crowd.  It  would  have 
been  unwise  to  run,  as  they  would  have 
thought  us  cowards  and  guilty  of  miscon- 
duct; so  we  stood  our  ground  as  best  we 
could.  At  first,  we  thought  that  perhaps 
it  was  only  a  boyish  prank;  but  when  we 
saw  men  engaged  in  the  affair,  we  knew 
they  were  angry  because  we  were  preaching. 

It  was  a  satisfaction  to  us  to  know  that 
we  had  been  very  careful  in  all  we  had  said; 
but  as  in  the  days  of  the  apostles  there  was 
a  class  of  unbelieving  Jews  who  stirred  up 
the  people,  so  now  there  were  those  who  were 
stirring  up  against  us  the  minds  of  our 
Hindu   brethren  who   desired   to   listen.      It 


p.  R.  Shindi  and  Family 

He  is  one  of  our  Marathi  S.  D.  A.  preachers. 

(219) 


220  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

was  the  Mohammedans  who  threw  the  stones, 
and  who,  jealous  lest  we  convert  the  Hindus, 
sought  thus  to  insult  us  openly.  Many  times 
we  tried  to  reach  the  people  of  that  place, 
but  nearly  always  had  to  leave  in  a  shower 
of  stones. 

For  a  time,  we  thought  we  must  not  be 
easily  discouraged,  and  should  persist;  but 
after  being  bruised  with  stones  several  times, 
we  concluded  to  let  this  village  rest  for  a 
time.  The  report  of  the  treatment  we  re- 
ceived in  that  one  place  spread  from  village 
to  village,  and  doubtless  emboldened  others; 
for  it  was  often  our  lot  to  be  pelted  with 
stones  while  conducting   a  gospel   service. 

One  afternoon,  three  of  us  missionaries 
planned  to  visit  a  near-by  village  for  the  first 
time.  As  usual,  we  were  all  dressed  in  the 
white  suits  customary  in  the  tropics,  and 
wore  white  sun  hats.  Our  carriage  top 
also  was  white;  and  as  we  drove  into  the 
village,  I  imagine  we  presented  a  neat  and 
attractive  appearance.  But  not  so  when  we 
drove  out. 

The  village  was  built  upon  a  hill,  and  was 
approached  by  a  road  that  circled  around  it. 
As  we  drew  near,  we  heard  the  bells  in  the 
temple  ringing  at  the   opening  of  the   eve- 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  221 

ning  worship,  accompanied  by  the  blasts  of 
conchs  and  the  beating  of  a  tom-tom,  and 
had  to  wait  for  the  noise  to  cease  before  we 
opened  our  service.  No  sooner  had  we  begun 
to  sing  than  from  all  sides  the  men  of  the 
village  flocked  to  us  in  great  curiosity;  and 
in  less  than  ten  minutes,  we  had  a  large  con- 
gregation, intent  on  learning  the  reason  for 
our  sudden  appearance.  It  was  not  long 
before  they  were  satisfied. 

•  The  bells  and  the  tom-tom  had  been  used 
to  wake  up  the  slumbering  village  idol,  as 
is  done  twice  in  twenty-four  hours.  We 
thought  of  the  address  of  the  apostle  Paul 
on  Mars'  Hill,  "Whom  ...  ye  ignorantly 
worship.  Him  declare  I  unto  you."  We  oc- 
cupied a  similar  position,  and  were  address- 
ing a  people  who  were,  like  the  Athenians, 
"in  all  things  .  .  .  too  superstitious."  So 
we  announced  our  text,  "He  that  keepeth 
Israel  shall  neither  slumber  nor  sleep,"  and 
endeavored  as  tactfully  as  possible  to  lead 
the  people  to  see  the  absurdity  of  their  ef- 
fort to  wake  up  with  a  daily  clamor  their 
handmade  idols  of  huge  blocks  of  stone. 
Then  we  pointed  out  to  them  the  wonders 
of  creation,  and  that  all  these  are  the  work 
of  the  living  God,  who  alone  is  worthy  to 


222  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

be  worshiped,  and  who  has  said,  "Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  Me." 

In  the  midst  of  our  remarks,  a  high-caste 
boy  stepped  forward  suddenly,  and  in  a  most 
commanding  tone  shouted,  ''Buss!  BussT 
meaning,  "Stop!  Stop!"  He  said  it  with 
all  the  venom  of  a  heart  full  of  sin.  When 
we  did  not  buss,  but  proceeded  with  our  re- 
marks, the  young  commander  again  came 
forward,  and  the  shout  of  ''Buss!  Buss!" 
rang  out  on  the  twilight  air.  By  this  time, 
the  congregation  had  increased  in  size.  To 
add  to  the  embarrassment  of  our  position, 
droves  of  buffaloes,  cows,  bullocks,  and  goats 
were  halloed  through  the  main  street  directly 
in  front  of  us.  There  we  stood,  with  hand 
uplifted,  talking  to  the  angry  multitudes  on 
the  hillside.  Clouds  of  dust  rose  from 
thousands  of  feet,  boys  were  shouting  at 
their  flocks  and  herds;  and  no  sooner  had 
the  cattle  passed  in  front  of  us  than  down 
came  a  brick,  which  we  escaped  by  stepping 
back. 

We  hoped  to  persuade  these  people  by 
kindness,  but  the  very  devils  seemed  stirred 
among  them.  Suddenly  they  rushed  down 
the  hillside  with  stones,  clubs,  bricks,  hand- 
fuls  of  cow  manure,  and  pelted  us  well  with 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  22^ 

whatever  they  could  grasp.  We  saw  no 
reason  for  such  a  demonstration,  and  stood 
our  ground  in  the  public  highway,  with  the 
hope  of  leading  them  to  a  better  turn  of 
mind.  But,  no;  the  light  had  fallen  upon 
them  that  the  gods  they  worshiped  were  only 
gods  of  earth  and  stone,  and  they  were 
furious.  Conscious  that  our  lives  were  in 
danger,  we  jumped  into  our  carriage,  and 
drove  away  amid  a  storm  of  oaths  and 
missiles. 

Our  hearts  melted  within  us  in  pity  and 
sympathy  for  these  deluded  souls;  but  they 
would  not  receive  us,  so  we  had  to  leave 
them.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  add  that  some  time 
later  we  visited  that  very  town,  and  talked 
to  the  people  about  Christ  and  His  power 
to  save,  and  all  we  had  with  us  was  our 
Bible,  songbooks,  and  lantern.  They  did 
not  refer  to  their  former  treatment  and  our 
rude  reception  in  their  village;  and  we  were 
careful  not  to  mention  it,  nor  in  any  way 
to  leave  the  impression  that  we  were  in  the 
least  afraid  of  them. 

On  the  evening  of  our  second  visit,  we 
gathered  a  company  in  their  village  rest- 
house,  and  told  them  of  the  plan  of  salvation. 
They  listened  till  a  late  hour;  then  we  de- 

15 


224  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

cided  to  sleep  there,  and  using  our  coats  for 
a  cover  and  our  books  for  a  pillow,  lay 
down-  without  bed  or  blanket,  and  slept  as 
well  as  in  bed  at  home.  They  knew  who 
and  what  we  were,  and  seemed  overcome  by 
our  kindness.  Since  that  time,  that  particu- 
lar village  has  been  open  to  the  gospel.  Some 
determination  was  required  on  our  part  to 
gain  this  village,  but  love  conquered.  Not  a 
bit  more  easy  was  it  to  gain  admission  into 
other  villages  in  that  locality.  One  instance 
will  illustrate. 

Desiring  to  bridge  over,  if  possible,  -the 
wide  chasm  of  national  customs  and  color, 
and  wishing  to  become  all  things  to  all  men, 
if  thus  by  any  means  we  might  save  some, 
two  of  us  agreed  that  we  would  dress  as  na- 
tives for  a  few  days  and  go  out  among  the 
people,  hoping  thereby  to  get  nearer  to 
them,  and  possibly  make  them  feel  that  we 
did  not  regard  ourselves  as  better  than  they. 
Two  of  our  native  Christian  young  men, 
who  served  as  schoolmasters  in  our  mission, 
accompanied  us. 

We  planned  a  trip  on  foot  that  would  last 
for  several  days,  and  possibly  weeks,  and 
therefore  went  equipped  for  such  an  absence. 
Each    carried   over   his    shoulder    a    blanket. 


Beaten  for  Chrisfs  Sake 


225 


neatly  folded.  We  also  had  two  lanterns, 
and  cloth  bags  containing  rice,  flour,  and  a 
few  other  things.  Great  simplicity  was  our 
aim;  and  although  it  meant  discomfort  and 
self-denial  on  our  part,  we  did  not  mind  it 
if  we  might  thereby  learn  a  better  way  of 
approach  to  an  indifferent  and  hostile  people. 
With  this  idea  in  mind,  and  in  this  simple 
Eastern  fashion,  we  four  started  out  full 
of  hope  and  prayer. 

The  first  day,  we  walked  about  ten  miles 
over  dusty  roads  in  the  hot  sun,  and  about 


Bombay's  Long-Horned  Bull 

Spread  of  horns  —  5  feet,  11  inches 

Length  of  horns  —  3  feet,  4  inches 


226  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  came  to  a 
small  village  situated  on  the  high  banks  of  a 
large  river.  After  eating  a  light  lunch  for 
our  evening  meal,  we  called  the  villagers  to- 
gether, and  conducted  a  service.  The  chief 
men  of  the  town  gathered  for  this  meeting, 
and  every  one  seemed  pleased. 

We  had  thought  of  spending  the  night  near 
an  old  temple  on  the  river  bank;  but  as  we 
started  to  go,  a  tumult  arose  among  the 
people,  and  they  became  so  excited  that  we 
could  not  gather  one  distinct  sentence  uttered 
by  them.  They  stopped  us  by  main  force, 
and  said  we  must  not  leave  their  town  that 
night.  For  a  few  moments,  we  persisted; 
but  when  we  saw  that  trouble  would  result, 
we  planned  to  remain  where  we  were.  Then 
they  built  a  big  fire  in  the  middle  of  the 
town  for  a  light,  brought  a  long  spear  and 
several  torches,  and  in  great  excitement 
chattered  away  till  midnight. 

We  pretended  we  were  not  concerned,  and 
lay  down  in  the  resthouse  and  tried  to  sleep. 
Our  ten-mile  walk  and  the  late  service  had 
somewhat  worn  us,  and  we  were  exceedingly 
weary.  We  could  not  tell  what  was  in  the 
minds  of  the  people;  but  one  thing  was  cer- 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  227 

tain, —  they  proposed  to  keep  us  shut  up  in 
their  village  and  in  that  resthouse  that  night. 

Whenever  we  opened  our  eyes  during  the 
night,  we  saw  a  watchman  looking  at  us  —  and 
it  is  not  easy  to  fall  asleep  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. Daylight  the  following  morn- 
ing was  most  welcome.  We  ate  our  food 
and  prepared  to  leave.  But  lest  they  should 
misunderstand  our  mission,  we  again  preached 
to  them,  said  "Salaam,"  and  departed.  That 
day,  we  did  not  go  many  miles.  We  crossed 
the  river,  and  held  services  in  a  village  on 
the  other  side.  Here  we  had  a  pleasant  day. 
For  the  first  time,  many  came,  and  listened 
to  the  glad  tidings.  It  had  been  very  hot 
and  sultry,  and  we  were  glad  to  wade  nearly 
up  to  our  necks  in  water  as  we  crossed  the 
river.  On  the  banks  of  this  river,  we  pre- 
pared our  evening  meal,  washed  and  dried 
our  dirty  garments,  and  decided  to  spend 
the  night  in  a  third  village,  a  little  farther 
down  the  stream. 

In  going  to  this  third  place,  we  had  to 
pass  by  the  one  we  had  first  visited.  We 
did  not  mind  this,  for  we  were  in  the  public 
highway,  and  on  a  government  road.  It  was 
about  sundown.  The  roads  were  deep  with 
dust,  so  that  whenever  we  stepped,  our  feet 


228  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

were  buried  almost  out  of  sight.  I  have 
never  seen  such  roads  anywhere  else.  No 
sooner  had  we  come  in  front  of  the  village 
where  we  had  been  detained  the  previous 
night,  than  a  company  of  men  came  out 
with  clubs,  and  commanded  us  in  rough 
tones  to  turn  into  their  village  again.  We 
said  "No,"  and  pursued  our  course  up  the 
hill,  walking  single  file,  as  the  road  was 
narrow.  It  took  a  few  moments  for  notice 
to  be  given  in  the  village;  then  about  fifty 
men,  each  armed  with  a  club,  came  after  us. 
I  first  heard  the  whack !  whack !  of  their  sticks 
as  they  beat  the  native  masters  who  were  in 
the  rear  of  the  line,  followed  by  the  remon- 
strance of  my  fellow  missionary.  Then  I, 
who  was  leading  the  line,  felt  several  sharp 
cuts  of  bamboo  clubs  on  my  back,  arms,  and 
head. 

Fearing  lest  we  should  be  killed,  we 
yielded  with  as  good  grace  as  possible,  and 
turned  back  with  them.  But  the  angry  mob 
did  not  seem  satisfied  to  beat  us  and  drag 
us  carelessly;  they  persisted  in  tearing  off 
nearly  all  our  clothing.  They  led  us  to  the 
resthouse  where  we  had  been  detained  the 
previous  night,  and  threw  us  in  with  a  great 
air  of  bravado.     The  legs  of  our  poor  na- 


Beaten  for  Clirisfs  Sake  229 

tive  boys  were  bleeding,  and  we  missionaries 
were  stiff  and  sore.  But  there  was  nothing 
we  could  do;  so  with  torn  garments,  dusty 
bodies,  and  palpitating  hearts,  surrounded 
by  that  angry  mob,  all  yelling  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  we  sat  down  on  the  mud 
floor  and  silently  looked  at  them. 

The  whole  town  heard  the  uproar,  and  in 
a  short  time  all  turned  out  to  see  what  the 
excitement  might  be.  No  doubt  some  will 
wonder  how  we  felt,  and  if  we  kept  our 
patience  under  these  circumstances.  It  was 
no  time  to  think  of  revenge;  the  angry  na- 
tives, in  their  state  of  frenzy,  would  have 
made  short  work  of  us.  So  we  kept  as  cool- 
headed  and  quiet  and  pleasant  as  possible. 
Personally,  I  wanted  to  live  a  while  longer, 
and  I  knew  that  the  quieter  I  was,  the 
sooner  they  would  become  more  sane.  Some 
pretended  they  were  sorry,  and  asked  if 
they  should  get  us  water  or  milk  to  drink; 
but  we  refused  to  accept  anything,  fearing 
they  might  try  to  poison  us.  After  such 
rough  treatment,  it  seemed  the  most  inap- 
propriate thing  in  the  world  to  seek  to  en- 
tertain us  with  oily  tongues. 

They  set  a  watchman  that  night  also,  and 
looked    with    wild    and    unsympathetic    gaze 


230  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

upon  us  in  our  helplessness.  We  thought  of 
Paul  and  Silas  in  the  Philippian  jail,  and 
longed  to  conduct  ourselves  as  wisely  as 
they.  The  previous  night,  we  had  slept  but 
little;  and  now  with  bleeding  legs  and  swol- 
len bodies,  we  slept  less  on  the  vermin- 
infested  mud  floor  of  the  native  resthouse. 
One  old  heathen  stretched  himself  on  a  cot 
to  rest;  and  everj^  time  he  turned  over  in  the 
night,  he  called  upon  the  name  of  his  god 
for  help,  shouting  out,  "Ram!  Ram!"  This 
did  not  add  slumber  to  our  weary  eyes. 

With  thankful  hearts  we  beheld  the  light 
of  the  next  day.  As  soon  as  possible,  we 
dispatched  one  of  our  native  masters,  tell- 
ing him,  in  English,  to  go  straight  home, 
and  have  one  of  the  missionaries  return  in  a 
carriage  for  us.  Had  the  natives  known  our 
plan,  they  would  not  have  allowed  the  man 
to  go.  Then  we  requested  the  head  man  of 
the  village  to  provide  us  with  a  bullock 
cart,  in  which  we  might  start  for  home;  but 
he  paid  no  attention  to  our  request. 

One  of  the  laws  under  British  rule  in  In- 
dia is  that  any  European  in  need  of  a  con- 
veyance shall  be  provided  the  same,  paying 
a  small  sum  for  its  use.  We  tried  to  im- 
press this  upon  the  mind  of  the  head  man. 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  231 

but  to  no  avail.  We  were  too  sore  to  walk, 
and  had  little  heart  to  undertake  it  after 
the  severe  treatment  of  the  night  before. 
Finally  we  made  a  bold  effort,  and  lighten- 
ing our  burdens  by  leaving  our  foodstuffs 
behind,  we  sauntered  off,  and  up  the  hill 
from  which  we  had  been  so  unceremoniously 
dragged  the  day  before. 

Just  before  we  left,  however,  four  of  the 
chief  men  of  the  town  departed  in  a  cart 
drawn  by  a  fine  pair  of  young  bullocks  — 
an  act  suggesting  trouble  ahead  of  some  sort. 
We  had  reason  to  think  that  orders  had  been 
given  to  keep  us  there,  and  to  watch  all 
our  movements.  No  sooner  had  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  hill  than  a  large,  powerful, 
black  native,  with  club  in  hand,  came  up  and 
demanded  that  we  return  to  the  village.  A 
few  positive  words  expressed  to  him  our 
citizenship,  and  our  determination  to  press 
homeward;  so  he  allowed  us  to  pass  on. 
There  were  several  villages  on  the  way  home, 
and  we  felt  sure  those  four  men  in  the  cart 
ahead  of  us  would,  if  possible,  make  trouble. 

We  had  gone  perhaps  two  miles  or  more 
when  we  saw  another  village.  With  re- 
pressed voices,  we  hurried  on,  hoping  we 
might  pass  unnoticed  and  unharmed.     But, 


232  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

no;  as  soon  as  we  came  up  fairly  in  front 
of  the  place,  out  came  three  strong-bodied 
mahars  (low-caste  fellows),  each  with  a 
stick  in  his  hand,  and  catching  us  with  a 
jerk  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  pulled  us 
into  the  center  of  the  town,  and  before  a 
large  crowd  of  men  seated  in  the  chowdie, 
or  resthouse.  Then  they  demanded  to  know 
who  and  what  we  were.  We  kindly  but 
positively  told  them  we  were  missionaries, 
that  we  had  molested  no  one,  and  that  our 
aim  was  to  do  the  people  good.  They  bade 
us  be  seated.  We  asked  why  they  had  ar- 
rested us  in  the  public  highway.  To  this 
they  made  no  response,  so  we  said  ''Salaam'^ 
and  departed. 

With  quick  step  we  hastened  homeward, 
dreading  the  next  village  we  had  to  pass, 
and  all  the  while  longing  for  our  missionary 
friend  to  drive  up  with  the  carriage  for  which 
we  had  sent.  Presently  we  came  to  a  clump 
of  shade  trees  and  sat  down  to  rest,  thank- 
ing God  that  our  lives  had  been  spared. 
Soon  our  carriage  came,  and  took  us  home, 
and  thus  ended  our  anxiety. 

Doubtless  a  query  has  arisen  in  the  mind 
of  the  reader  as  to  the  reason  for  all  this 
trouble,   and  the  unfriendly  attitude  of  the 


Beaten  for  Christ's  Sake  233 

villagers.  Some  might  think  it  was  due  to 
the  native  costumes  we  had  worn,  but  that 
was  not  the  case.  We  afterward  learned 
that  an  old  Hindu  priest  in  the  first  village 
had  recognized  us,  and  before  our  entrance, 
had  lied  to  the  people  about  us.  No  matter 
what  we  said  or  did,  they  believed  the  priest; 
in  fact,  they  as  much  as  told  us  that  the 
reason  they  beat  us  was  because  they  had 
been  told  we  were  spies  for  a  band  of  fifty 
robbers  hid  away  in  the  mountains.  The 
old  priest  well  knew  that  we  were  the  serv- 
ants of  Jesus  Christ;  and  he  feared  that 
his  religion  would  be  exposed,  and  perhaps 
his  gain  lost,  if  the  people  received  us. 
Hence   all    our    difficulty   and   suffering. 

From  this  account,  no  one  need  think 
that  such  treatment  of  missionaries  by  the 
natives  is  common.  The  hand  of  British 
rule  in  India  does  not  allow  that.  The  whole 
affair  came  to  the  ears  of  the  European  su- 
perintendent of  the  district  police.  He  visited 
us,  and  insisted  on  our  taking  several  police- 
men and  arresting  those  villagers.  He  would 
not  let  us  off,  claiming  that  if  they  were  al- 
lowed to  treat  missionaries  in  that  way,  it 
would  be  but  a  short  time  before  other 
Europeans  would  be  insulted,  and  such  de- 


234  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

fiance  of  British  rule  would  never  do.  We 
readily  saw  the  point,  and  consented  to  do  as 
he  requested. 

With  a  police  force,  we  rode  up  to  the 
village,  and  they  arrested  about  fifty  men, 
taking  each  name  down  very  carefully,  thus 
frightening  the  natives  well.  Then  we  went 
to  the  superintendent  of  police,  and  begged 
him  to  drop  the  matter,  promising  that  if 
any  disturbance  occurred  again,  we  would 
report  the  matter  to  him.  Of  course,  the 
news  spread  throughout  the  district,  and  had 
a  salutary  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  na- 
tives. Since  then  the  gospel  has  been  pro- 
claimed in  all  those  villages,  and  no  one 
has  been  molested;  but  that  field  is  still  con- 
sidered one  of  the  strongholds  of  Satan, 
and  the  people  are  hard  to  move. 

In  closing,  let  me  say  that  one  does  oc- 
casionally read  of  missionaries  being  roughly 
handled  by  native  mobs  in  different  parts, 
and  once  in  a  while  one  is  killed.  In  one 
instance  in  my  own  experience,  poison  was 
placed  in  a  beverage  served  me  by  the  na- 
tives, because  I  had  discovered  some  of  their 
wrongdoing.  But  usually  the  lives  of  mis- 
sionaries are  as  safe  in  India  as  in  the 
homeland. 


CHAPTER     XVI 


A  Free  Camel  Ride 


^  HOUSANDS  of  men  in  America  do 
not  wish  to  have  the  gospel  preached 
to  them;  and  if  they  could  have  their 
way,  all  the  churches  would  be  closed. 
This  only  reveals  their  sinful  condi- 


tion. Of  such  as  these  the  Saviour  said 
"Ye  will  not  come  to  Me,  that  ye  might 
have  life,"  and,  "Men  loved  darkness  rather 
than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil." 
Conditions  in  some  lands  are  quite  different 
from  this,  and  many  souls  really  long  for 
preachers  and  teachers.  They  have  had  their 
own  way  long  enough,  and  are  heartily  sick 
and  tired  of  it. 

Many  instances  might  be  given  of  earnest 
requests  to  come  and  preach  Christ  in  India. 
The  following  is  one  of  these,  but  as  yet  no 
one  has  accepted  the  invitation: 

Some  years  ago  a  young  high-caste  Hindu, 
Tazaram  Rai  Budahamal,  attended  a  mission 
school  in  North  India.  He  did  not  become 
a  Christian,  however,  although  he  was  con- 
vinced of  the  superiority  of  the  religion  of 
the   Lord   Jesus    Christ.      Tazaram   was    an 

(235) 


236  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

exceptionally  intelligent  young  fellow,  and 
not  only  made  a  thorough  success  of  all  his 
studies  in  the  English  language,  but  after 
leaving  school  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  high 
position  in  the  India  service  of  the  British 
government.  He  set  his  heart  upon  the  ac- 
cumulation of  earthly  treasure,  and  secured 
the  object  of  his  effort. 

Not  long  afterward,  however,  a  great  ca- 
lamity befell  Tazaram,  illustrating  in  a  prac- 
tical way  the  lesson  of  the  parable  of  the 
man  who  built  his  house  upon  the  sand. 
When  the  winds  blew,  and  the  floods  came, 
the  house  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall  thereof. 
For  it  was  a  flood,  so  common  in  some  parts 
of  India,  that  swept  away  all  of  Tazaram's 
earthly  store.  With  his  wife  and  nephew, 
he  escaped,  a  downhearted  but  much  wiser 
man. 

Discouraged  and  downcast,  he  turned  his 
attention  in  another  direction,  and  hoping  to 
make  another  fortune,  went  to  Southwestern 
India,  the  land  of  Goa.  At  the  end  of  a 
year,  however,  the  tide  of  circumstances 
proved  to  be  against  him  still.'  About  this 
-time,  a  friend  in  the  Forest  Department  of 
the  government  suggested  a  new  scheme. 
Ready  for  a  third  venture,  Tazaram  applied 


A  Free  Camel  Bide 


237 


to  the  government,  and  secured  a  large  tract 
of  land  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles 
from  an  English  railroad. 

A  CALL  FOR  HELP 

In  the  hope  of  getting  cheap  labor,  Taza- 
ram  corresponded  with  a  missionary  who  had 
a  number  of  famine  refugees  and  native 
Christians  in  his  charge,  and  who  lived  about 


On  Camel  Back 


238  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

sixty  miles  from  Tazaram's  village.  Tazaram 
begged  the  mission  to  send  workers  among 
the  ignorant  heathen  in  that  locality,  and 
promised  that  poor  native  Christians  could 
get  employment  on  his  large  estate.  I  be- 
lieve he  went  so  far  as  to  offer  land  to  the 
mission   if   they   would   only   heed    the    call. 

There  are  no  good  roads,  no  post  offices, 
and  no  markets  in  those  parts.  A  cliowke 
(police  station)  visited  once  a  week  by  a 
native  sepoy,  or  police,  is  the  only  boast  of 
the  town.  "Bittergaon"  was  the  Indian  name 
of  the  town  where  Tazaram  settled.  He 
soon  changed  the  name  to  "Bettergaon" ;  so 
instead  of  Bittertown,  the  name  would  sig- 
nify Bettertown.  This  illustrates  his  pro- 
gressive spirit. 

Not  long  after  Tazaram's  request  for  help 
was  received,  a  missionary  accompanied  by 
a  large  squad  of  native  converts  paid  a  visit 
to  Bettergaon,  and  were  entertained  by  Taza- 
ram. They  were  greatly  pleased  with  him, 
his  offer,  and  the  whole  country.  Had  he 
been  a  Christian  man,  no  doubt  many  native 
Christians  would  gladly  have  accepted  his 
proposal ;  but  having  been  made  free  through 
Christ,    they    would    not    become    entangled 


A  Free  Camel  Ride  239 

again  in  a  yoke  of  heathen  bondage,  by 
serving  under   a   Hindu   gentleman. 

So  the  missionary  and  his  men  searched 
on  several  miles  farther  into  the  jungles  till 
they  found  a  vacant  place  that  suited  them 
much  better.  Application  was  made  to  the 
government,  and  a  large  tract  of  land  was 
secured  on  certain  conditions.  The  govern- 
ment also  granted  these  people  a  loan  of 
money,  cattle,  and  carts.  When  these  mat- 
ters were  satisfactorily  adjusted,  about  one 
hundred  men  and  women,  among  the  poorest 
on  earth,  moved  to  their  new  home  in  the 
wild  forest.  They  called  their  village  Tharan- 
poor,  or  Salvationtown. 

Several  times  a  year  the  missionary  visits 
this  native  Christian  village.  During  the 
heavy  rains,  however,  this  is  quite  impossible, 
as  there  are  no  roads,  and  the  jungles  are 
overgrown  with  tall  grass  and  reeds.  The 
missionary  usually  carries  his  gun,  and  suc- 
ceeds in  killing  several  wild  animals.  On 
each  trip  to  the  village,  he  visits  Tazaram, 
who,  although  disappointed  not  to  have  all 
these  people  under  him,  still  rejoices  that  his 
efforts  to  help  civilize  his  fellows  in  those 
parts  have  not  been  altogether   in  vain. 

16 


240  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

This  missionary  casually  mentioned  my 
name  to  Tazaram,  and  said  that  I  was  much 
interested  in  just  such  undertakings.  To  my 
surprise,  I  received  a  most  cordial  and  urgent 
invitation  from  Tazaram  to  visit  him  at 
Bettergaon,  and  I  began  to  plan  at  once 
how  I  could  make  the  journey. 

TRAVELING  BY  THE  SHIP  OF  THE  DESERT 

My  home  was  about  seventy  miles  from 
Tazaram's  village,  in  a  state  known  as  "The 
Nisam's  Dominions."  (The  Nisam  is  a 
prosperous  Mohammedan  ruler  in  Central 
India.)  The  roads  were  very  bad;  and  with 
no  traveling  conveniences,  I  wondered  how 
I  could  best  cross  rivers  and  mountains,  and 
penetrate  dense  jungles.  Finally  I  con- 
cluded that  camels  would  be  the  most  practi- 
cal means  of  travel.  I  consulted  with  Cap- 
tain Farrell,  who  lived  in  the  same  town  as 
I,  and  he  kindly  offered  two  camels  to  me 
for  their  feed.  A  camel  lives  on  jungle 
leaves  and  a  small  quantity  of  soaked  grain 
twice  a  day. 

As  I  had  never  driven  a  camel,  and  these 
beasts  are  often  ugly  and  unruly.  Captain 
Farrell  appointed  a  day  to  teach  me  how 
to  drive.     The   camel  he  chose  was  a  huge 


(241) 


242  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

young  fellow,  full  of  life.  The  driVer 
strapped  on  a  double  saddle,  and  we  were 
ready  for  a  trial.  Just  as  the  captain  was 
mounting,  the  creature  leaped  up  with  an 
ugly  grunt;  and  soon  the  captain  was  roll- 
ing down  an  embankment.  For  a  moment, 
my  spirits  were  dampened,  and  I  questioned 
the  wisdom  of  learning  to  drive  on  that  fel- 
low's back.  But  when  we  found  that  no 
injuries  were  sustained,  we  took  courage 
and  mounted  together. 

READY   FOR   THE   JOURNEY 

The  simple  method  of  guiding  the  camel 
by  a  little  rope  tied  to  a  ring  in  one  side  of 
the  animal's  nose,  was  soon  explained;  and 
after  one  or  two  turns  about,  I  felt  pre- 
pared for  the  future  with  my  camel,  and  in 
two  days  I  was  ready  for  the  long  trip.  I 
had  a  large  pith  sun  hat  for  protection 
against  the  sun,  wore  a  white  drill  suit,  took 
a  lunch  basket  of  rice,  flour,  salt,  onions, 
butter,  etc.,  also  a  blanket  for  a  bed.  I 
might  have  taken  more,  for  the  camel  easily 
carries  a  very  heavy  load  on  his  back. 

The  captain  thought  best  for  me  to  take 
two  men  and  two  camels,  so  I  consented. 
It    was    intensely    interesting   to    my    family 


(243) 


244  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

circle,  especially  to  my  little  boy  and  girls, 
to  see  the  two  huge  camels  kneeling  at 
the  door  while  my  basket  and  dress  suit 
case  were  tied  to  their  backs.  Then  came 
the  handshake,  the  "God  bless  you,"  and  the 
good-by  kiss.  When  I  mounted  into  the 
saddle,  the  camel  grunted  as  if  angry,  and 
preferred  to  lie  still  and  chew  his  cud  a 
while  longer;  but  a  gentle  jerk  of  the  rope 
informed  him  he  must  obey  his  new  master 
and  be  off.  The  children  screamed  with 
delight  to  see  me  rise  so  high  in  the  air, 
and  soon  we  disappeared  from  view,  passing 
through  the  town,  and  then  turning  off 
toward  the   jungles   and   Bettertown. 

How  strange  this  method  of  travel  seemed 
—  so  ancient  in  style,  yet  to  us  so  novel  and 
interesting!  The  air  felt  clearer  than  usual, 
the  view  was  more  enchanting,  and  the 
strength  of  the  huge  fellow  added  a  certain 
feeling  of  secin-ity.  But  you  must  know 
that  the  motion  of  the  camel  is  very  different 
from  that  of  the  horse  or  the  elephant.  He 
does  not  step  like  these  animals,  but  has  a 
peculiar  method  all  his  own.  The  fore  and 
hind  feet  on  the  same  side  are  thrust  for- 
ward, then  the  two  feet  on  the  other  side, 
so  that  first   the   rider   gets   a   jerk  on   one 


A  Free  Camel  Ride  245 

side,  then  a  jerk  on  the  other;  and  no  matter 
which  way  he  sits  or  how  he  adjusts  his 
body,  he  soon  arrives  at  the  conckision  that 
it  is  impossible  to  exist  under  such  torture 
of  all  his  muscles.  One  or  two  miles  is  suf- 
ficient, he  thinks;  but  as  he  proceeds,  his  en- 
tire body  aches.  He  becomes  numb  and 
sore  and  heartily  sick  of  it,  and  actually 
feels  as  if  the  flesh  all  over  his  body  were 
being  pulled  from  the  bones.  Muscles  that 
seldom  if  ever  have  had  exercise  before  are 
now  brought  into  use.  They  work  and  work, 
and  swell,  and  get  sore,  and  remain  so  until 
they  lose  all  sensation,  and  finally  go  to 
sleep,  wake  up,  and  get  sore  again,  until  at 
the  end  of  twenty  miles  the  sufferer  scarcely 
knows  whether  he  is  half  dead  or  unusually 
alive. 

NEW  EXPERIENCES 

Cautiously  the  traveler  makes  the  camel 
sit  down,  and  pulling  his  feet  from  the 
stirrups,  he  tumbles  off  like  a  football.  Then 
he  stands  up,  almost  afraid  to  move  his  tired 
body.  Finally  he  lies  down  on  the  ground, 
and  stretches  out,  preferring  oblivion  to  any- 
thing else  in  the  world.  But,  repeating  this 
experience    several    times,    one    gets    accus- 


246  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

tomed  to  it,  and  finally  can  really  enjoy  a 
camel  ride. 

The  camel  will  walk  or  trot  in  the  road, 
go  in  a  footpath,  step  over  brush  heaps, 
rocks,  and  mud  puddles,  enter  gates,  and 
go  in  and  about  almost  any  place  big  enough 
for  him,  and  seems  afraid  of  nothing  but  a 
stick.  If  you  hit  him,  he  will  whine  like  a 
big,  lazy  schoolboy.  It's  a  joke  to  make  him 
think  you  will  hit  him.  He  really  seems  ten- 
der-hearted, yet  wise.  His  wisdom  makes 
him  pretend  you  are  cruel  to  him,  even  when 
you  compel  him  to  kneel  to  mount. 

The  sensation  of  the  rider  when  his  camel 
gets  up,  is  that  he  will  first  pitch  forwarJ, 
headlong,  and  then  backward,  and  that  his 
backbone  will  snap  in  two. 

My  camel  came  to  a  stream  of  water,  and 
stretching  out  his  long  neck,  drank  up  all 
he  wanted;  then  he  waded  in  and  marched 
to  the  other  side,  and  forward  tirelessly,  up 
hills,  through  valleys,  and  over  dusty  roads. 
Camels  sometimes  travel  eighty  miles  in  a 
day,  and  once  at  work,  are  ready  for  any 
amount  of  it. 

We  ]iassed  town  after  town  and  village 
after  village.  The  cultivated  fields  of  cotton, 
sugar   cane,   and   corn,   as   well   as   the   fruit 


Native  Drawing  Sap  for  Making  Toddy 

(247) 


248  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

orchards,  were  beautiful  to  look  upon  from 
such  an  exalted  position.  We  rode  through 
the  towns,  made  inquiries,  asked  for  water 
at  the  village  wells  where  people  were  filling 
waterpots,  and  greeted  everybody  we  saw 
with  the  "Salaam"  of  all  Eastern  lands.  We 
saw  the  natives  climbing  the  palm  trees  by 
hundreds,  and  catching  the  sap  as  it  dripped 
into  little  black  earthen  jugs  to  be  made  into 
toddy,  the  native  liquor  of  the  country.  The 
dogs  growled  in  the  roads  as  we  disturbed 
their  peaceful  slumbers,  while  herds  of  goats, 
sheep,  buffaloes,  and  cattle  stood  with  fixed 
gaze  until  we  came  too  near,  then  turned 
tail,  and  ran  for  dear  life  in  all  directions  — 
a  most  amusing  sight,  although  the  owners 
of  the  cattle  were  quite  disconcerted. 

Now  and  then  the  camels  would  stretch 
out  their  long  necks,  and  break  off  the  ten- 
der, tempting  twigs  of  the  trees.  It  was 
most  interesting  to  watch  them  as  we  drove 
beside  the  mango  trees,  which  were  laden 
with  green  fruit  that  looked  like  huge  apples 
but  was  very  acid  to  the  taste.  Casting  wist- 
ful glances,  my  camel  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  finally  stopped  and  sampled  these 
mangoes,  crunching  them  down  with  a  relish, 
the  frothy  juice  oozing  out  both  sides  of  his 


A  Free  Camel  Ride  249 

mouth.  A  few  times,  I  willingly  gave  the 
good  fellow  his  liberty,  and  greatly  to  his 
satisfaction,  allowed  him  to  eat  greedily. 

At  sundown,  we  usually  halted  at  the  vil- 
lage inn,  or  cJiowdie,  a  mud  hut  about  twelve 
or  fifteen  feet  square,  thatched  with  grass 
or  cotton  stalks,  and  only  high  enough  in 
the  center  to  allow  us  to  stand  erect.  These 
chowdies  have  no  windows,  and  are  open  on 
one  side.  My  old  man,  the  camel  driver, 
called  the  head  man,  or  Parteih  of  the  village, 
and  bought  grass  and  grain,  also  buttermilk 
or  curds  for  ourselves.  It  was  impossible  to 
get  a  bath  in  such  surroundings,  although  it 
would  have  been  refreshing,  to  say  the  least. 
The  natives  generally  take  their  daily  bath 
on  their  front  doorsteps,  but  we  had  not 
learned  their  ways. 

PITIFUL^   UNWORKED   FIELDS 

Thus  day  by  day  we  pursued  our  journey. 
From  the  tops  of  the  hills,  we  gained  excel- 
lent views  of  the  surrounding  country.  At 
one  place,  I  counted  about  twenty  villages, — 
villages  containing  thousands  of  human 
beings,  but  no  schools,  hospitals,  courts  of 
law,  or  other  marks  of  civilization.  Thou- 
sands here  live  and  die,  and  never  see  a  white 


250  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

man,  never  learn  to  read,  do  not  even  know 
their  own  age.  Lost  in  the  darkness  of 
heathenism,  they  work,  eat,  and  sleep,  suffer 
and  die,  with  no  knowledge  of  the  light  of 
the  gospel.  Their  lives  are  full  of  sin  and 
bitter  toil;  little  children  herd  cattle  and 
grind  grain,  growing  up  like  the  flocks  in 
the  fields,  to  pass  some  day  into  the  grave, 
with  no  knowledge  of  a  Saviour  or  a  here- 
after. 

I  talked  with  many  whom  I  met,  and  tried 
to  make  them  feel  that  I  cared  for  them 
and  was  interested  in  them.  I  have  always 
found  such  people  susceptible  to  human  af- 
fection and  true  kindness,  but  the  few 
heralds  cannot  penetrate  every  corner  of  the 
field. 

Finally  we  reached  Bettergaon,  where 
Tazaram,  dressed  in  European  costume,  wel- 
comed me,  and  insisted  that  I  have  a  glass 
of  hot  milk  to  drink.  Seating  me  in  a  com- 
fortable chair  in  a  shady  spot,  he  gave  me 
a  fan,  provided  a  wash  of  cool  water,  ordered 
dinner  for  me  and  my  camel  driver,  and  gave 
the  camels  their  provender.  Education  and 
good  society  had  made  Tazaram  another 
man.  I  felt  at  home  with  him  at  once.  He 
treated  me  as  kindly  as  any  Christian  man 


A  Free  Camel  Bide  251 

could  have  done.  As  he  is  a  Hindu  of 
high-caste  birth,  he  could  not  allow  me  to 
eat  with  him  or  touch  his  food  or  water. 

I  saw  his  many  fields  of  plantain  trees, 
cotton,  saffron,  and  other  crops;  but  what 
most  concerned  him  was  the  problem  of 
helping  his  neighbors  to  a  better  life.  He 
hoped  to  get  missionaries  willing  to  live 
among  his  people  at  Bettergaon,  and  open 
schools  and  do  medical  and  evangelistic  work. 
Although  not  a  Christian  himself,  he  seems 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  evi- 
dently has  more  faith  in  missionaries  than 
in  any  one  else.  He  offered  me  several  acres 
of  land  and  any  assistance  if  I  would  but 
move  my  family  there  and  begin  work. 
Really  I  desired  to  accept  the  offer;  but  I 
was  in  duty  bound  to  other  work,  and  hence 
had  to  refuse. 

From  this  place,  I  visited  Salvationtown, 
eight  miles  farther  on,  in  the  wild  jungles. 
On  my  way  thither,  I  saw  trees  that  had  been 
barked  by  tigers  sharpening  their  claws  on 
the  trunks;  I  also  saw  blue  bulls  large  as 
moose,  wild  deer,  and  wild  boar.  We  reached 
the  village  about  dark,  but  visited  the  great 
Sussarkund,  or  waterfalls,  before  we  went 
into  our  quarters.     These  falls  are  sixty  feet 


252  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

high,  and  the  walls  of  the  river  at  this  point 
are  eighty  feet  high.  A  huge  tiger  den  can 
be  seen  just  below  the  falls,  on  the  river 
banks.  Wild  pigeons  and  stately  cranes  flew 
about  over  the  stream.  The  buffaloes  and 
cattle  are  often  destroyed  by  the  crocodiles 
and  large  fish  so  plentiful  there,  as  they  go 
down  to  the  river's  brink  to  drink. 

Turning  toward  the  village  proper,  we 
startled  a  large  flock  of  peacocks  roosting  in 
a  big  tree,  and  they  flew  past  our  heads  with 
wild  screams,  displaying  their  beautiful 
feathers  in  their  flight.  A  huge  mud  house, 
with  a  double  grass  roof,  had  been  erected 
in  the  village,  for  missionaries,  and  here  we 
halted  for  the  night.  The  missionary  in 
charge  of  the  village  was  there,  which  made 
it  all  the  more  pleasant  for  us. 

A  CHRISTIAN  VILLAGE 

The  native  Christians  in  this  little  town 
are  very  poor;  and  until  they  had  harvested 
their  first  crop,  life  was  hard  for  them. 
After  a  plain  but  tasty  repast  consisting  of 
fried  onions  and  wheat  cakes,  called  chipat- 
ties,  a  number  of  men  collected  on  the  open 
veranda  of  the  house,  and  we  held  evening 
prayer  with  them,  and  retired  for  the  night. 


A  Free  Camel  Ride  253 

Our  slumbers  were  disturbed  only  a  few 
times,  and  then  by  the  howling  of  wild  ani- 
mals in  the  jungle  about  us. 

Among  the  men  were  a  schoolmaster  and 
a  preacher,  also  a  carpenter  and  a  shoemaker. 
They  told  us  they  were  very  poor,  and  we 
promised  to  send  every  man  a  coat.  This  was 
done  a  few  weeks  later;  and  after  that,  we 
sent  them  two  lots  of  secondhand  clothes, 
which  they  seemed  to  appreciate. 

Before  we  said  good-by,  they  wanted  us  to 
accept  a  live  chicken;  but  we  thanked  them 
and  gave  it  back.  They  told  us  they  were 
greatly  bothered  by  the  invasions  of  wild 
animals,  which  destroyed  their  stock  and 
watchdogs.  They  go  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles  for  the  mail  and  provisions;  and  should 
they  need  a  doctor,  they  must  go  twenty 
miles. 

When  the  time  came  for  us  to  leave  the 
place,  we  mounted  our  camels  and  set  forth, 
in  the  same  fashion  that  Abraham  followed 
thousands  of  years  ago.  Some  of  the  friends 
accompanied  us  a  distance  out  of  town;  and 
before  the  final  "salaams"  were  said,  the  mis- 
sionary shot  a  deer,  which  would  furnish 
fresh  meat  for  them  for  several  days. 


254  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

The  path  was  the  same  as  that  by  which 
we  came,  but  we  saw  many  new  sights  and 
met  new  faces.  It  took  seven  days  to  make 
,the  trip  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles, 
and  two  weeks  of  rest  to  regain  our  normal 
condition  physically;  but  we  had  gathered 
practical  information  that  we  could  have  ob- 
tained in  on  other  way.  Between  our  mis- 
sion home  and  Salvationtown,  save  Mr. 
Tazaram,  we  did  not  see  one  single  mark  of 
civilization  or  Christianity.  We  passed  hun- 
dreds of  villages  that  had  never  heard  of 
Christ,  and  thousands  of  men  and  women 
who  will  have  died  before  the  gospel  can 
come  to  them.  Cholera,  plague,  smallpox, 
and  famine  are  sweeping  them  off  the  earth 
faster  than  all  the  missionaries  can  preach. 
Who  is  responsible?  "The  harvest  truly  is 
great,  but  the  laborers  are  few." 


CHAPTER     XVII 


Work  at  Kopergaon 

OR  several  years,  native  preachers  had 
labored  for  the  Master  at  Koper- 
gaon, a  typical  Hindu  village  not  far 
from  the  city  of  Ahmednaggar,  and 
lying  in  a  fertile  valley  covered  with 
fruit  orchards  and  well  cultivated  fields  of 
cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  pulse. 

Kopergaon  was  evidently  built  by  the 
Marathas,  who,  for  protection  from  their 
Mohammedan  foes,  built  high  walls  around 
their  towns  and  villages.  Some  of  these  walls 
are  composed  of  huge  blocks  of  cut  stone, 
placed  side  by  side  without  cement  or  mor- 
tar, and  many  of  them  are  from  twenty  to 
forty  feet  high,  with  several  circular  towers 
at  the  corners  and  along  the  sides.  These 
towers  are  reached  by  long  flights  of  stone 
steps  on  the  inside  of  the  wall,  and  in  olden 
times  were  used  by  the  military  and  police 
forces.  In  some  of  these  walls,  which  are 
from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  thick,  are  rooms  for 
ammunition  and  barracks.  The  tops  of  the 
walls  are  made  flat,  and  topped  with  a  sort 

(255) 
17 


256  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

of  crown  work  full  of  holes,  through  which 
guns  may  be  aimed  at  an  enemy. 

Each  of  these  walled  towns  is  entered  by 
two  enormous  gateways  directly  opposite  each 
other.  The  gates  are  made  of  heavy  planks 
and  crudely  wrought  iron,  and  the  strength 
of  several  able-bodied  men  is  required  to  open 
and  close  their  heavy  leaves.  They  are  bolted 
at  night  on  the  inside  by  long  beams,  held 
in  iron  sockets.  The  wall  above  the  gates  is 
finished  as  an  arch. 

Just  inside  the  gates,  and  on  either  side, 
are  open  rooms  about  three  feet  from  the 
road,  the  floors  of  which  are  made  of  large, 
flat  rocks.  In  these  rooms  are  always  found 
the  elders  of  the  town,  accompanied  by  in- 
spectors and  watchmen,  so  that  no  one  may 
come  in  or  go  out  unobserved.  Here,  too, 
all  the  gossip  of  the  day  is  carried  on. 

In  form,  the  town  of  Kopergaon  is  square, 
with  one  long  main  street  perhaps  twenty  feet 
wide  running  through  the  center.  All  its 
streets  are  swept  every  day  by  hand;  so,  on 
the  whole,  it  presents  rather  a  neat  appear- 
ance. The  town  is  divided  into  sections,  the 
more  influential  and  higher  castes  living  in 
well  built  houses  near  the  front  gate,  and  the 
artisans    and    lower    classes    occupying    less 


(257) 


258  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

prominent  places  and  those  near  the  rear  gate. 
Shoemakers,  outcasts,  and  scavengers  are 
not  allowed  to  live  within  the  town  walls, 
but  have  their  own  quarters  outside. 

Not  far  from  the  center  of  town,  on 
the  main  street,  the  daily  market  is  held. 
From  about  seven  a.  m.  to  eleven  a.  m.,  fresh 
vegetables,  fruits,  etc.,  are  exposed  for  sale, 
and  again  from  three  p.  m.  till  sunset. 
Kopergaon  contains  several  deep  wells;  but 
most  of  the  water  used  by  the  people  is  taken 
from  the  Godavari  River,  on  whose  banks 
the  town  stands. 

Large  droves  of  water  buffaloes,  cattle, 
goats,  and  sheep,  which  are  cared  for  during 
the  day  by  low-caste  boys,  are  housed  in 
Kopergaon  every  night.  During  the  heat 
of  the  day,  the  cattle  graze  along  the  sides 
of  the  river,  or  browse  in  the  babul  forests 
and  jungles.  It  is  interesting  to  see  large 
droves  of  these  buffaloes  lying  on  the  sand 
bars  of  the  river,  and  rolling  about  in  the 
water. 

Kopergaon  is  a  sacred  spot  to  the  Hindu; 
and  each  year,  thousands  of  pilgrims  visit  it 
to  worship  at  some  of  the  many  shrines  and 
temples  erected  on  the  river  banks  or  out  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream.     A  number  of  Brah- 


Work  at  Kopergaon  259 

man  priests  make  a  good  income  from  these 
deluded  pilgrims,  every  one  of  whom  must 
pay  a  small  sum  to  one  of  them  for  his 
services.  The  priest  says  prayers  for  the 
pilgrim,  shaves  his  head  and  beard,  daubs 
a  little  vermilion  or  a  few  "sacred  ashes"  over 
him,  and  sends  him  forth  to  another  place  of 
deception.  Thus  many  weary  souls  wander 
from  place  to  place,  frequently  until  they 
have  spent  large   sums  of  money. 

We  w^elcomed  the  orders  that  sent  us  to 
work  at  Kopergaon.  While  living  there,  we 
made  our  residence  part  of  the  time  in  the 
public  resthouse  outside  the  walls,  and  part 
of  the  time  in  a  tent.  My  stay  of  several 
months  was  a  very  busy  time.  Usually  I 
arose  about  six  a.  m.,  and  after  a  light  break- 
fast, visited  our  village  school,  conducted  by  a 
native  Christian  master.  Those  who  attended 
this  school  were  from  the  lower  castes,  and 
consequently  not  permitted  to  attend  the 
government  school. 

A  native  Christian  medical  man  was  placed 
in  Kopergaon  to  care  for  the  sick,  and  I  also 
gave  some  time  and  attention  to  this  work 
daily'.  One  day,  a  man  called  me  to  his  door, 
and  said,  "Sir,  please  look  at  my  wife's  eyes." 
I  did  so,  and  found  her  totally  blind.     Then 


260  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

he  wanted  to  know  if  I  could  cure  them;  and 
when  told  there  was  no  cure  for  blind  eyes, 
he  said:  "If  that  is  so,  I  do  not  want  her  for 
my  wife.  I  want  a  wife  who  can  see,  and 
shall  get  me  another."  Of  course,  I  re- 
monstrated with  him,  and  tried  to  show  him 
how  necessary  it  was  that  he  love  her  the 
more,  and  protect  her;  but  he  did  not  look 
at  it  that  way.  However,  he  did  not  put 
her  away  while  I  was  there. 

Many  were  badly  afflicted  with  itch,  due  to 
their  unclean  habits  of  living;  but  I  found 
that  if  they  would  take  a  daily  bath  in  the 
river,  using  common  laundry  soap,  they  could 
get  rid  of  this  trouble. 

IGNORANCE    AND   DEGRADATION 

Many  low-caste  and  out-caste  fathers  and 
mothers  pleaded  with  me  to  take  their  chil- 
dren and  put  them  in  school.  Some  of  these 
children  scarcely  ever  had  a  full  meal  to 
eat,  and  often  begged  me  to  provide  work 
for  them.  They  seemed  ready  and  willing  to 
do  almost  anything  if  only  I  would  help 
them  to  a  better  condition.  Often  I  was  at 
a  loss  to  know  what  to  say  to  these  needy 
people,  who  seemed  to  look  to  me  for  help, 
and  who  could  not  understand  why  their  lot 


Work  at  Kopergaon 


261 


was  so  hard,  when  others  had  education  and 
the  common  comforts  of  life.  They  had  be- 
come so  used  to  deprivation  and  poverty,  as 
well  as  to  insult  and  unkind  treatment  by 
the  upper  classes  among  their  fellow  na- 
tives, that  they  would  merely  say,  "It's  our 
naslieeh  [fate],  and  cannot  be  helped."  I 
endeavored  to  help  them  to  see  that  if  they 
would  begin  to  pray  to  the  true  God  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  forsake  all  sin 
and  idolatry.  He  would  hear  their  cry,  and 
in  His  own  wise  way  send  relief;  but  it 
seemed  hard  for  such  a  degraded  class  to 
believe.     False  systems  of  religion  have  held 


The  Barber 


The  "Bheesty,"  or  Water 
Carrier 


262  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

millions  of  human  beings  in  ignorance,  and 
led  them  into  such  wrongdoing  as  is  al- 
most  impossible   to   imagine. 

While  at  Kopergaon,  I  had  the  use  of  a 
small  horse  and  carriage;  and  with  this  con- 
venience, the  native  preacher  and  I  were 
able  to  visit  the  surrounding  villages.  The 
roads  were  crooked  and  unkept,  many  of 
them  being  mere  cart  paths  through  the 
grainfields.  Often  they  led  over  jagged 
rocks  and  through  the  sandy  or  muddy  river 
bottoms.  Still  the  horse  and  carriage  saved 
our  strength;  and  in  the  hot  sun,  it  was 
always  easier  as  well  as  safer  to  ride  than 
to  walk.  But  whenever  it  rained  very  hard, 
and  the  river  was  swollen,  we  had  to  post- 
pone our  visits  to  the  outlying  towns  until 
the  river  fell  again.  In  some  of  these  small 
places,  we  gathered  large  congregations  of 
eager  listeners,  and  found  it  a  pleasure  to 
tell  them  of  Bible  truths. 

A  TYPICAL  SERVICE 

In  one  part  of  Kopergaon,  we  managed 
to  win  the  confidence  of  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  people;  and  when  we  discovered  their 
receptive  attitude  toward  our  message,  we 
put    forth    an    extra    effort    in    their    behalf. 


Work  at  Kopergaon  263 

Early  in  the  morning,  we  called  on  them,  and 
requested  that  they  gather  that  evening  at 
the  resthouse.  Just  after  sundown,  we  began 
the  meeting. 

It  would  tax  the  patience  of  some  Ameri- 
can preachers  to  conduct  a  service  amid 
such  surroundings.  In  all  directions,  old 
men  were  squatted  about;  little  groups  of 
women  chatted  among  themselves  in  sub- 
dued tones;  from  a  dozen  to  twenty  naked 
urchins,  some  of  them  with  sore  eyes  black 
with  flies,  were  playing,  crying,  eating  corn 
bread,  or  rolling  in  the  dust  on  the  ground. 
Two  or  three  dogs  with  litters  of  puppies 
were  moving  here  and  there;  goats,  buffaloes, 
and  bullocks  were  tethered  close  by;  and  a 
number  of  green  parrots  were  screeching  in 
their  small  iron  cages  suspended  from  the 
low  eaves  of  the  thatched  houses.  Xow  and 
then  some  stranger  entered  the  court,  sur- 
prised to  find  such  a  company  assembled, 
and  a  sahib  (European),  clad  in  a  clean 
white  suit,  addressing  them  in  their  own 
tongue. 

When  a  dog  became  too  familiar,  perhaps 
some  old  man  would  poke  it  with  his  staff, 
and  with  a  yelp  it  would  go  limping  off. 
In  the  course  of  an  hour,  a  dozen  similar  in- 


264  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

teiTuptions  might  occur.  At  times,  the  mis- 
sionary is  tempted  to  think  he  cannot  en- 
dure it;  again,  that  work  carried  on  against 
such  odds  does  not  pay,  and  that  the  effort 
will  prove  fruitless.  But  after  a  few  weeks 
of  such  work  in  that  one  town,  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  a  number  of  persons  who  had 
absorbed  more  of  the  teaching  than  I  had 
supposed  possible.  Of  their  own  accord,  they 
desired  to  give  up  Hinduism,  and  accept 
the  gospel.  Such  results  always  buoy  one 
up,  and  stimulate  to  further  effort. 

After  some  weeks  of  patient  effort  at 
Kopergaon,  it  was  my  duty  to  ask  how  many 
would  take  a  public  stand  for  Christ.  To 
my  surprise,  about  thirty-five  came  forward, 
and  confessed  that  they  saw  the  light  of 
gospel  truth  as  we  had  presented  it,  and  were 
ready  to  break  caste  and  be  baptized. 

After  more  careful  examination  and  a 
public  call  to  the  river  banks,  I  baptized  this 
little  company.  Just  above  the  spot  we  had 
chosen  were  several  huge  idols  in  the  river, 
and  the  Hindus  were  bowing  down  to  them. 
Where  we  stood,  there  were  no  idols,  but  a 
little  group  of  humble  men  and  women  with 
faith  in  the  one  true  and  living  God  and 
His    Son   Jesus    Christ.      That   river    which 


Work  at  Kopergaon 


265 


the  Hindus  worshiped  became  the  watery 
baptismal  grave  of  a  number  of  souls  that 
day. 

The  contrast  in  the  two  groups  and  in  the 
object  of  their  meeting  was  marked.  Many 
witnessed  a  baptismal  scene  for  the  first  time^* 
in  their  lives,  and  went  away  in  all  directions 
to  tell  what  strange  things  they  had  heard 
and  seen,  and  of  the  Christian  missionary 
teaching  the  people  who  were  accepting 
Christ  and  taking  upon  themselves  the  public 
sign  of  that  acceptance. 


•^■--•-i.      ^'"'^SHI^H 

|B^j^ 

EzzizzzrJ^      -"^"^^I^^SPj 

^ffl^. 

m^^^ 

vv 

J^^^m^"^- 

HQ^Q 

^ 

Paul,  "Our  Bheesty,"  or  Water  Carrier,  at  the  Kalyan 

Mission  House,  and  the  Water  Buffalo  with  the 

MussuK  ON  His  Back  Filled  with  Water 


266  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

The  news  spread  like  a  prairie  fire,  not 
only  to  the  near-by  villages,  but  also  to 
the  large  market  places  all  over  that  dis- 
trict, creating  a  deep  sensation.  From  among 
that  baptized  group,  we  received  one  young 
man  who  became  an  active  worker  among 
his  own  people,  and  whose  whole  aim  was  to 
lead  them  into  the  light  of  the  gospel.  Such 
work  requires  much  labor,  wisdom,  and  forti- 
tude. Time  also  is  an  element  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Christian  character.  The  personal 
responsibility  of  the  missionary  becomes 
greater  when  some  accept  Christ;  for  if  these 
sheep  are  not  properly  fed  and  cared  for, 
many  die  or  are  devoured  by  wolves. 

CALLING  FOR   PROTESTANT   MISSIONARIES 

One  sultry  afternoon,  I  sat  in  my  small 
room  at  the  Kopergaon  resthouse,  when  a 
native  stranger  came  to  the  door,  and  re- 
spectfully presented  me  with  a  chit,  or  letter, 
written  in  the  vernacular.  I  read  it  carefully, 
and  found  it  was  a  hearty  invitation  to  cross 
the  Godavari,  and  come  a  distance  of  seven- 
teen miles  to  a  village  down  the  river,  where 
a  company  of  men  were  calling  for  a  Protes- 
tant missionary.  I  asked  the  bearer  of  the 
note  to  come  in  and  tell   me   all   about   his 


Work  at  Kopergaon  267 

people,  his  village,  etc.  He  did  so,  and  I 
found  it  an  interesting  story. 

He  said  a  man  had  come  to  their  village 
and  reported  that  I  was  teaching  the  people 
at  Kopergaon,  and  that  many  were  accept- 
ing the  gospel  and  being  baptized.  He  also 
said  that  for  a  long  time,  many  of  his  people 
had  known  a  little  about  Christ.  One  day 
a  man  in  a  long  robe  came  to  them,  saying 
he  would  make  Christians  of  them,  and  would 
give  them  books  and  a  school.  Their  ex- 
pectations were  aroused,  and  they  thought 
they  saw  a  way  to  benefit  themselves  and 
their  little  ones.  Believing  that  after  they 
had  been  properly  instructed,  they  would  be 
free  from  the  yoke  of  caste  and  of  Hinduism, 
and  knowing  no  difference  between  Protes- 
tant and  Catholic  missionaries,  they  walked 
into  the  net  spread  for  their  feet.  Some  of 
their  friends  had  told  them  that  Christianity 
was  much  better  than  heathenism;  so,  after  a 
certain  amount  of  instruction  in  the  cate- 
chism, and  learning  certain  prayers  and  signs, 
they  were  sprinkled. 

But  they  had  no  Bible  to  read;  and  when 
I  put  one  into  the  hand  of  the  stranger  who 
brought  the  letter  to  me,  he  said,  "That  is 
God's  book;  no  one  but  the  'father'  may  read 


268  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

that."  I  assured  him  that  the  Bible  is  for  all 
to  read.  Then  he  told  me  that  his  people 
were  not  baptized  as  I  was  baptizing  at 
Kopergaon.  The  man  in  the  long  gown  had 
first  rubbed  oil  on  their  chests  and  backs,  and 
then  put  salt  in  their  mouths;  after  that,  he 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  their  foreheads, 
and  they  were  called  to  the  confessional  once 
a  week.  He  further  stated  that  unless  the 
women  went  to  confession,  the  "father"  would 
beat  their  hands  with  a  stick;  if  the  men  did 
not  come  and  say  their  prayers,  they  must 
each  pay  a  fine  of  from  four  to  eight  annas. 
This  was  harder  than  Hinduism,  he  thought. 

In  their  former  religion,  no  man  had  a 
right  to  talk  alone  to  their  women;  and  to 
them,  the  confessional  for  women  looked  very 
much  out  of  place,  and  they  could  not  keep 
up  such  a  custom.  Neither  had  they  been 
fined,  as  Hindus,  if  they  did  not  say  their 
prayers.  They  had  hoped  to  be  bettered  by 
Christianity,  but  now  they  felt  they  were 
worse  off  than  before.  The  letter  requested 
me  to  visit  them,  and  help  them  if  possible. 
I  could  not  leave  my  post  alone,  so  sent  my 
salaams,  and  promised  to  visit  them  very  soon. 

The  bearer  of  the  letter  remained  at 
Kopergaon  only  one  night,  and  then  started 


Work  at  Kopergaon  269 

home  on  foot.  I  could  not  help  following 
him  in  my  thoughts  those  seventeen  miles, 
and  purposed  to  visit  that  village  as  soon  as 
I  could;  but  as  I  had  all  I  could  do  at  home, 
my  plans  could  not  be  immediately  carried 
out. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  a  company 
of  seventeen  men,  determined  upon  the  ac- 
complishment of  their  purpose,  came  to 
Kopergaon  to  see  me  themselves.  Matters 
now  assumed  a  serious  aspect,  and  I  began 
to  correspond  with  other  missionaries  about 
the  opening.  These  anxious  men  promised 
me  land,  and  buildings  in  which  to  live  and 
conduct  schools,  also  a  good  well  of  water,  if 
I  would  but  come  to  their  village.  The  offer 
was  a  tempting  one,  and  I  greatly  desired  to 
accept  the  invitation  and  make  the  most  of 
the  opportunity.  But  I  was  in  duty  bound 
to  receive  instructions  from  the  superintend- 
ent of  the  mission  before  I  could  under- 
take any  new  work.  He  was  carefully  in- 
formed of  the  new  developments  in  my  field, 
and  replied  that  on  a  certain  date,  four  of 
us  should  meet  for  a  conference  at  Koper- 
gaon, and  then  the  matter  would  be  con- 
sidered. 


270  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

At  this  conference,  several  more  men  from 
that  village  presented  themselves,  anxiously 
waiting  for  a  hopeful  promise.  When  the 
superintendent  asked  me  what  I  thought  best 
to  do,  I  promptly  said,  "Go  to  them  at  once, 
give  them  Bibles,  teach  them,  and  as  soon 
as  we  can,  baptize  them  again,  and  accept 
them  into  the  fold." 

Here  matters  took  another  turn;  for  the 
superintendent  gave  me  positively  to  un- 
derstand that  the  last  ruling  of  the  bishop 
had  been  that  as  the  Catholics  baptized  men 
into  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  we  could  do 
no  more,  and  therefore  we  must  not  rebaptize 
those  from  Catholicism. 

I  confess  I  did  not  agree  with  the  bishop, 
and  I  still  longed  to  leave  Kopergaon,  and 
go  down  the  river  to  that  flock  of  sheep  in 
the  wilderness  who  were  calling  for  a  shep- 
herd. These  people  had  refused  to  follow 
the  priest.  As  I  must  not  disobey  orders,  I 
did  not  go  to  them ;  and  so  far  as  I  know,  no 
Protestant  missionarj^  has  ever  visited  them. 

In  a  few  days,  I  received  a  postal  card 
and  also  a  telegram  urging  me  to  come;  but 
my  hands  were  bound  by  rules  that  I  could 
not  disobey.  I  sent  my  final  salaam  and 
declined  their  offer.     Whenever   I   think  of 


Work  at  Kopergaon  271 

that  opening,  and  those  poor  people,  my 
heart  yearns  over  them.  The  work  still  went 
on  at  Kopergaon;  and  when  I  was  sent  else- 
where, another  man  took  my  place  and  taught 
the  people. 

Up  to  the  time  I  left,  only  the  men  of 
Kopergaon  had  received  my  instruction,  save 
the  little  that  one  poorly  qualified  woman 
had  done  in  house  visiting.  The  station 
master  was  a  bigoted  caste  man;  and  if  our 
native  preacher  attempted  so  much  as  to  go 
on  the  railroad  platform,  even  to  meet  the 
missionary  at  the  train,  he  was  sure  to  get 
a  bill,  fining  him  three  or  four  cents.  This 
was  a  plan  to  keep  low-caste  men  out  of 
the  way  of  the  high-caste.  As  Kopergaon 
was  a  holy  bathing  place,  caste  rules  were 
enforced  more  rigidly  than  where  European 
influence  was  more  largely  felt. 

There  are  still  many  "diamonds  in  the 
rough"  at  Kopergaon,  and  in  all  its  sur- 
rounding villages  and  hamlets. 


18 


^ft. 

*t 

■ 

^:;j;;,                                       ^            1     ,,     ^:, 

Hii^H^^^Hil^ite^ 

A  Young  Wife  Loaded  with  Silver  Jewels 
(272) 


CHAPTER     XVIII 


The  Famine 


NDIA  has  three  distinct  seasons, — 
the  cold,  the  hot,  and  the  wet,  or 
"monsoon."  Of  course,  a  country  ex- 
tending over  thirty  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, possessing  such  vast  chains  of 
lofty  mountains,  and  washed  on  two  sides  by 
the  sea,  must  possess  a  variety  of  climate. 
"Such  is  India,  varying  from  'furnace  heat' 
in  May  and  June  at  Agra,  to  intense  cold  on 
the  high  plateaus.  The  average  summer 
temperature  in  some  places  is  ninety-five  de- 
grees in  the  shade;  and  at  places  like  Jacoba- 
bad  in  the  northwest,  it  rises  as  high  as  115 
degrees  in  the  shade;  while  in  many  places, 
during  the  hot  months,  the  thermometer 
registers  150  and  even  160  degrees  in  the  sun. 
"In  estimating  the  climate  of  India,  four 
conditions  must  be  kept  in  view;  namely, 
the  latitude,  the  altitude,  nearness  to  the 
desert,  and  nearness  to  the  sea.  The  slopes 
of  the  Himalayas  have  a  cool  climate.  At 
Utakamand,  in  the  Nilgiri,  the  elevation  and 
the  sea  breezes  keep  the  summer  tempera- 
ture  down   to   sixty   degrees.      The   country 

(273) 


274  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

south  of  .the  Satpura  Mountains  is  cooler 
than  the  valleys  of  the  Indus  and  the  Ganges, 
and  the  east  coast  is  hotter  than  the  west. 

"The  hot  season  lasts  from  March  to 
June;  the  wet  season  from  June  to  October; 
and  the  cold  season  from  October  to  March. 
The  rainfall  in  parts  of  India  is  greater 
than  any  other  place  on  the  globe.  The  water 
brought  up  from  the  sea  by  the  southwest 
monsoon,  or  periodical  wind  blowing  off  the 
Arabian  Sea,  from  July  to  October  is  enor- 
mous. On  the  Malabar  coast,  the  annual 
rainfall  sometimes  amounts  to  480  inches; 
while  in  Assam,  as  nmch  as  600  inches  have 
fallen  in  a  single  year. 

"The  rainy  season  does  not  occur  at  the 
same  time  all  over  India.  The  failure  of  the 
monsoon  is  followed  by  the  awful  famines 
w^hich  from  time  to  time  visit  the  country, 
their  severity  and  extent  depending  upon  the 
lightness  or  entire  suppression  of  the  annual 
rainfall,  which  in  turn  is  governed  by  the 
periodical  winds  which  bring  the  moisture 
in  from  the  sea." 

It  is  said  that  India  has  a  famine  about 
every  twenty  years,  sometimes  severe,  some- 
times slight.  History  has  recorded  these  sad 
calamities  upon  this  particular  country.    Dur- 


The  Famine 


275 


ing  the  year  1900,  very  little  rain  fell  in 
India,  and  the  outlook  was  forbidding.  Cot- 
ton, corn,  and  other  crops  had  been  planted 
as  usual.  These  came  up  but  a  few  inches, 
only  to  be  scorched  in  the  hot  sun.  The  grass 
grew  but  a  little  and  withered.  The  farmers 
and  herdsmen  all  over  the  country,  who  are 
entirely  dependent  on  the  annual  moisture  of 
the  monsoon  rains,  were  downcast  while  they 
discussed  the  gloomy  outlook  for  that  year. 
Many  of  those  brawny  old  Hindu  farmers 
actually  wept  as  they  looked  upon  their  vast 
fields  of  blasted  grain. 


A  Band  of  Hungry  Boys 


276  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

The  Bible  says  that  "hope  deferred  maketh 
the  heart  sick,"  and  indeed  these  poor  men 
were  heartsick.  The  previous  year,  the  rain- 
fall was  abundant,  and  corn  had  been  sold 
at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds  for  the  rui^ee,  or  thirty-three  and 
one  third  cents.  The  poorer  classes  had 
sufficient,  and  few  begged  their  daily  bread. 
But  soon  prices  began  to  rise,  and  all  food- 
stuffs became  very  expensive. 

In  Central  India,  during  the  famine,  corn 
was  sold  at  the  rate  of  sixteen  pounds  for 
thirty-three  and  one  third  cents.  Large 
quantities  of  grain  were  stored  away  in  pits 
all  over  the  country,  and  the  Hindu  grain 
merchants  seized  the  opportunity  to  make 
this  misfortune  their  gain.  There  was  no 
established  law  to  regulate  prices;  thus  many 
millions  were  at  the  mercy  of  a  few,  who  had 
it  in  their  power  to  consider  the  poor  and 
lend  to  the  Lord,  or  to  oppress  the  poor. 
They  chose  the  latter  and  more  natural  in- 
clination of  their  selfish  hearts. 

In  some  parts  of  India,  the  famine  had 
really  begun  in  1897,  and  many  had  actually 
starved  to  death;  but  in  1900,  it  had  become 
so  widespread  that  the  government  was 
scarcely  prepared  to  meet  it.     In  spite  of  all 


The  Famine 


277 


the  criticism  that  may  be  offered,  the  British 
officials  in  every  instance  did  their  utmost 
to  provide  employment  for  all  classes  in  ac- 
tual need,  and  those  who  were  too  weak  to 
work  were  freely  provided  with  daily  food. 
It  is  said  that  millions  of  people  always 
live  on  the  verge  of  starvation  in  India;  and 
any  one  who  has  been  a  resident  of  that 
country  even  for  a  short  time  cannot  doubt 
the  statement.  The  common  day  laborer 
earns  but  eight  cents  a  day  if  a  man,'  and  four 
cents  a  day  if  a  woman.  This  is  the  usual 
standard  of  wages  when  grain  is  at  its  normal 


Making  Cow  Dung  Cakes  for  Fuel 


278  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

value.  Millions  of  people  in  India  never  save 
a  penny  for  a  "rainy  day,"  and  actually  live 
"from  hand  to  mouth"  in  the  true  sense  of 
the  term.  The  majority  are  in  debt  to  the 
money  lender,  who  receives  high  rates  of  in- 
terest on  his  money;  for  in  India,  as  every- 
where else,  "the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of 
all  evil." 

CATTLE  COMMITTING  SUICIDE 

It  was  a  sad  sight  when  the  downhearted 
and  discouraged  farmers  went  into  their  fields 
and  pulled  up  the  partly  grown  cornstalks  by 
the  roots.  It  had  grown  but  eight  or  ten 
inches,  and  then  died.  Every  one  knew  that 
no  more  could  be  sown  for  at  least  twelve 
months;  so  these  tiny  bundles  of  fodder  were 
carefully  stored  away  for  the  many  cattle  de- 
pendent on  them.  Water  in  all  the  wells 
gradually  grew  lower,  and  after  a  while,  dried 
up  altogether.  Instances  were  observed 
where  cows  in  search  of  water  walked  re- 
peatedly around  these  dry  wells,  bellowing  as 
they  went;  then,  placing  their  forefeet  upon 
the  curbing,  plunged  down  headlong,  and 
were  dashed  to  death  at  the  bottom. 

As  grain  became  scarce  and  very  ex- 
pensive, the  low-caste  women  were  frequently 


The  Famine  279 

seen  in  the  fields  with  baskets  and  brooms 
sweeping  up  seeds  of  any  kind  that  might 
have  fallen  the  previous  year.  After  win- 
nowing this  grain  out  by  hand,  they  would 
grind  it  in  their  hand  mills,  finally  making  it 
into  bread.  Cattle  ate  the  leaves  of  the 
banyan  and  babul  trees.  In  fact,  all  the 
trees  that  had  any  green  leaves  were  hacked 
to  pieces  to  be  fed  to  the  starving  cattle. 
Many  people  boiled  the  leaves  for  food  as 
well,  though  surely  it  was  not  a  very  nutri- 
tious diet. 

Children  from  the  lower  castes  collected 
bones,  and  after  crushing  them  with  stones, 
ate  them.  A  carpenter's  son  gradually  wasted 
away.  He  had  scarcely  any  clothing  on  his 
emaciated  body.  Finally  he  tied  a  knot  in  a 
rope,  and  placing  the  knot  over  his  stomach, 
tied  the  rope  at  his  back,  and  thus  went  about 
our  town  begging  for  food.  One  day,  after 
we  refused  to  assist  him,  he  sat  down  in 
the  middle  of  the  public  highway,  and  ac- 
tually ate  the  dust  of  the  street.  We  helped 
him  some,  but  could  not  provide  for  all 
such  cases. 

Such  pathetic  sights  are  painful  to  witness, 
and  arouse  all  the  sympathies  of  the  human 
heart.     The  government  advised  missionaries 


280  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

not  to  make  a  practice  of  giving  out  money 
without  something  in  retiu-n;  but  of  coiu'se, 
this  rule  could  not  be  insisted  upon  in  the 
case  of  children.  Government  relief  camps 
were  opened  all  over  the  country,  and  labor 
was  provided  for  all  who  were  able  to  work. 
Stones  were  gathered  from  the  fields,  and 
broken  into  small  pieces  with  hammers,  to  be 
used  in  building  roads.  Thus  millions  of 
men,  women,  and  children  found  employ- 
ment. The  wages  paid  were  but  a  trifle, 
however,  and  in  many  instances  scarcely 
enough  to  keep  them.  Many  were  too  weak 
to  work  after  reaching  the  relief  camp,  and 
it  was  quite  impossible  for  them  to  sit  in  the 
hot  sun  and  break  stone  all  day;  so  large 
numbers  were  compelled  to  give  up,  lie  down 
on  the  ground,  and  starve  to  death. 

The  people  of  India  do  not  use  glassware 
and  crockery  as  much  as  we  do,  but  they 
use  brass  and  copper  instead.  These  metals 
are  generally  sold  by  weight,  and  may  be 
disposed  of  at  any  time.  In  their  straitened 
circumstances,  the  people  exchanged  all  their 
household  utensils  for  bread. 

Then,  too,  they  are  fond  of  jewelry,  and 
usually  wear  quantities  of  it;  but  now  this 
was  also  gladly  sold.     Those  who  were  able 


The  Famine  281 

to  purchase  at  such  a  time  were  sure  to  take 
advantage  of  the  dire  need  of  the  people, 
whose  goods  were  always  sold  at  great  sacri- 
fice and  loss.  Clothing,  cattle,  farming  im- 
plements, and  even  their  small  holdings  of 
land  were  disposed  of  for  bread.  Frequently 
children  were  sold.  Thousands  of  discour- 
aged souls  left  their  homes,  and  wandered 
wherever  inclination  led,  in  search  of  food 
and  water. 

Gradually  the  police  became  responsible 
for  these  people,  and  they  were  driven  from 
place  to  place,  or  herded  together  like 
cattle.  They  were  sick  in  mind  and  body, 
and  many  of  them  became  careless  and  indif- 
ferent to  all  ties  of  home  and  kindred.  Thus 
they  forsook  one  another,  and  families  be- 
came  separated,  never  to  be  reunited. 

In  some  cases,  the  weaker  members  of 
the  family  were  driven  out  to  beg  and  shift 
for  themselves,  while  the  stronger  ones  care- 
fully preserved  the  little  that  remained  for 
their  own  needs,  and  so  pulled  through.  The 
temptation  to  steal  was  naturally  great;  and 
scarcely  anything  was  safe,  even  under  lock 
and  key.  The  mission  lost  cattle,  fowls,  and 
much  valuable  household  stuff.  In  one  in- 
stance,   thieves    dug   out    the    frame    of    the 


282  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

cookhouse  window  in  the  mission  compound, 
and  stole  several  large  copper  kettles  and 
seventeen  brass  plates,  the  property  of  our 
boys'  orphanage.  All  day  long  these  poor 
people  congregated  about  the  mission  house, 
pleading  for  food  and  water.  Many  of 
them  lost  all  sense  of  fear,  shame,  and  con- 
sideration for  others.  In  fact,  they  had  little 
or  no  hope  of  life,  and  seemed  not  to  care 
what  became  of  them. 

Water  was  not  to  be  found  even  in  the 
deepest  ravines  in  the  jungles;  and  wild 
animals  prowled  about  our  houses  at  night, 
endeavoring  to  get  a  drink  from  our  water 
jars  placed  out  in  the  wind  to  cool.  As  the 
mission  house  windows  had  strong  iron  bars 
in  them,  we  felt  perfectly  safe  inside. 

The  government  excavated  deep  pits  in  the 
river  beds,  and  thus  provided  a  limited  supply 
of  water  for  us.  These  pits  were  all  pro- 
tected by  police  both  day  and  night;  and 
what  water  we  obtained  by  hauling  it  in 
barrels  was  kept  under  lock  and  key,  and 
carefully  given  out  to  those  under  our  care. 
Not  a  drop  was  wasted.  I^arge  numbers  of 
people  not  only  did  not  have  water  with 
which  to  bathe,  but  for  months  at  a  time  did 
not  even  have  enough  to  drink.     Their  cloth- 


The  Famine  283 

ing  became  filthy,  and  their  bodies  diseased 
and  alive  with  vermin. 

Epidemics  of  cholera,  plague,  and  other 
diseases  were  the  natural  result.  Many  sick- 
ened and  died  without  care  or  medical  at- 
tendance. Government  officials  were  not 
anticipating  anything  so  widespread,  and 
hence  were  unable  to  cope  with  it  properly. 
Were  another  famine  soon  to  prevail  over 
such  a  vast  area,  past  experience  would  en- 
able officials  to  deal  with  it  more  promptly 
and  successfully. 

Many  of  the  educated  natives  were  placed 
in  responsible  positions,  handling  large  sums 
of  charity  funds.  This  became  a  source  of 
temptation;  and  in  certain  instances,  much 
was  squandered  that  should  have  been  dealt 
out  to  the  needy  under  their  charge.  Some 
of  these  men  were  unfeeling  and  cruel,  and 
the  people  were  wronged  and  oppressed  by 
them. 

THE  LABOR   OF   MISSIONARIES 

Missionaries  of  all  denominations  endeav- 
ored to  gather  as  many  orphans  as  they 
could  into  their  schools;  but  in  some  in- 
stances, the  high-caste  Hindus  declared  they 
preferred  to  see  their  children  starve  to  death 


284  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

rather  than  become  Christians.  The  world 
was  informed  of  the  pressing  need  in  India 
at  that  time;  and  as  fast  as  sympathizing 
friends  responded  to  the  call,  assistance  was 
rendered  to  all,  without  regard  to  color,  caste, 
age,  or  sex.  Those  who  bore  the  responsi- 
bilities of  those  famine  days  will  never  forget 
their  peculiarly  trying  experiences. 

It  was  indeed  a  time  of  human  helplessness, 
and  drove  us  constantly  to  seek  wisdom  and 
help  from  above.  Many  missionaries  not  only 
overworked,  but  denied  themselves  even  the 
necessities  of  life.  It  has  been  said  that 
"when  virtue  is  overdone,  it  ceases  to  be  a 
virtue,  and  becomes  a  vice."  But  not  until  too 
late  did  some  learn  that  they  had  gone  too 
far  in  their  labor  of  love,  when  they  were 
forced  to  lay  down  their  lives,  victims  of 
fever  and  general  exhaustion. 

Not  only  did  human  beings  die,  but  cattle, 
birds,  and  every  living  thing  that  could  not 
get  water.  One  result  of  this  condition  was 
great  swarms  of  flies,  which  collected  about 
our  dwellings  until  we  could  scarcely  eat. 
At  mealtimes,  we  stationed  two  native  boys 
with  napkins  to  drive  the  flies  away.  In  one 
instance,  sixteen  of  our  orphan  boj^s  could 
not  eat  their  rice,  because  of  the  flies.     There 


The  Famine 


285 


was  so  much  decaying  flesh  on  all  sides,  that 
the  fly  became  indeed  a  deadly  pest. 

One  day,  several  orphan  boys  had  been  to 
the  jungles  for  firewood;  and  on  their  return, 
they  hastened  to  tell  us  they  had  seen  a  man 
who  evidently  had  starved  by  the  roadside, 
and  whose  body  had  been  partly  devoured 
by  jackals.  Another  time,  our  Hindu  cook 
started  for  his  home  in  the  village.  The 
night  was  dark,  and  he  could  with  difficulty 
see  his  way.  Suddenly  he  was  startled  by 
a  moving  object  in  his  path.  Halting  to  get 
a    clearer   view,    he    discovered    a    baby    girl. 


^ 

ki^nGP^ 

"^MJ 

|PH|MI 

?t3>3 

^ 

iX.* 

W^ 

tm  - 

"■1-1   ^'.'* 

2^wi 

~  ^B^HkPMH 

nS 

--^"imiiii    ,--"'^ 

mm 

-r:^ 

t) 

I  ,.E       ^ 

I J 

A  Loaded  Donkey 


286  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

which  had  been  thrown  out  in  the  street  to 
die.  The  cook  picked  her  up,  and  brought 
her  to  the  mission,  where  she  was  kindly  cared 
for.  To-day  she  is  a  bright  Christian  young 
woman  in  a  mission  school  in  Central  India. 

While  out  for  a  walk  with  several  mission 
children  one  day,  we  heard  a  pitiful  cry, 
which  sounded  as  if  it  came  from  the  ground. 
Where  could  it  be?  Only  a  heap  of  thorn 
brush  was  near.  Again  we  listened,  and  at 
last  discovered  a  baby  boy  in  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  covered  with  cow  manure  and  a 
heap^  of  thorns.  Large  black  ants  were 
crawling  over  its  naked  body,  and  soon  would 
have  begun  to  eat  its  flesh.  How  it  came 
there  we  never  knew.  It  was  taken  to  the 
mission  house,  and  as  tenderly  cared  for  as 
if  it  had  been  our  own.  Thus  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  many  lives  were  rescued;  but 
while  the  missionaries  were  saving  all  the 
lives  they  could  to  educate  and  uplift,  wicked 
Mohammedans  were  collecting  youths  to 
train  for  anything  but  good. 

A  cargo  of  American  corn  was  sent  to 
India  in  the  good  ship  "Quito,"  and  I  had 
the  privilege  of  distributing  thousands  of 
pounds  of  it.  A  regular  time  was  appointed 
for  the  people  to  assemble  in  the  public  road, 


The  Famine  287 

and  the  corn  was  given  out  in  teacupfuls. 
We  might  have  helped  more  people  with 
this  corn;  but  as  the  cattle  died  off  with 
hunger  and  thirst,  it  was  impossible  to  haul 
it  in  bullock  carts  to  our  mission,  a  distance 
of  twenty-eight  miles. 

During  the  famine,  we  hired  many  to  bring 
stone,  lime,  and  wood.  At  one  station,  we 
thus  employed  nearly  five  hundred  persons 
for  eight  months;  and  after  converting  all 
this  building  material  into  houses,  we  were 
led  to  thank  God  for  what  had  been  accom- 
plished. That  eventful  year,  we  gave  out 
for  labor  several  thousand  dollars,  and  re- 
lieved much  suffering. 

Meetings  were  daily  carried  on  for  the 
people  in  our  charge;  and  before  the  year 
closed,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  baptizing  a 
large  number  who  had  become  Christians. 

During  the  year  1900,  and  out  of  those 
awful  famine  conditions,  many  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  true  God ;  and  we  trust  that 
some  of  these  will  be  among  those  who  shall 
finally  be  saved. 


19 


CHAPTER     XIX 


Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum 

S  usual,  we  were  very  busy  about  the 
mission.  There  had  been  no  rain  for 
several  months,  famine  stared  us  in 
the  face,  and  the  natives  on  all  sides 
were  downhearted  and  full  of  fear. 
No  wonder,  for  they  always  lived  "from  hand 
to  mouth,"  and  had  little  or  nothing  laid  by 
to  meet  such  an  emergency.  Many  of  the 
older  people  had  passed  through  more  than 
one  famine,  and  the  sad  tales  of  poverty 
and  starvation  they  related  to  one  another 
were  most  pathetic.  In  times  of  drought 
and  scarcity,  families  had  lost  their  worldly 
possessions,  and  had  been  separated,  never 
to  meet  again. 

Nearly  every  day,  the  poor  natives  came 
to  the  mission  house  pleading  for  help,  till 
we  were  at  our  wit's  end  to  know  what  to  do. 
In  most  instances,  they  wanted  work;  but  we 
had  no  work  for  them.  Among  others  who 
came  into  the  mission  compound  was  a  thin 
old  kunbee,  or  Hindu  farmer.  A  half-starved 
little  girl,  wholly  nude,  slowly  followed  on 
after  the  old  man.     She  may  have  been  four 

(288) 


Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum  289 

years   of  age;   but   she    looked   like   a   little, 
dried-iip  old  woman. 

The  man  and  the  child  were  not  so  bold  as 
some,  and  did  not  venture  very  close  to  the 
house,  but  sat  down  in  the  yard,  flat  on  the 
ground,  in  regular  native  fashion.  The  poor 
old  farmer  looked  tired,  hungry,  and  worried. 
He  called  to  us,  and  asked  if  we  gave  work 
to  poor  people,  and  if  we  had  anything  for 
him  to  do.  We  said  we  sometimes  helped 
needy  cases,  but  that  we  had  no  work  to  offer 
any  one  just  then.  He  looked  quite  disap- 
pointed, then  related  his  sad  story  of  need. 


A  Typical  Indian  Boy 


Susie 


^90  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

His  wife  was  dead,  he  had  no  food  in  the 
home,  and  he  was  about  ready  to  lie  down  and 
die.  He  had  that  one  little  girl;  and  with 
a  fond  glance  at  her,  and  then  a  pleading  look 
at  us,  he  said,  "Will  you  take  care  of  her  if 
I  give  her  to  you?"  We  gladly  promised  to 
be  as  father  and  mother  to  the  child.  The 
old  man's  heart  was  too  sad  for  conversation. 
He  loosened  his  hold  upon  the  bony  little 
thing,  who  had  quietly  slipped  up  close  to 
his  side;  then  passing  his  hard,  crooked 
fingers  over  her  little  face  and  head,  he 
turned  away  to  leave. 

We  saw  that  it  was  hard  for  him  to  part 
with  his  poor  little  girl,  even  to  leave  her  with 
kind  friends,  and  we  pitied  him.  As  he 
started  off,  we  called  the  child  to  us.  Evi- 
dently she  was  frightened,  and  had  begun  to 
feel  that  her  father  was  to  leave  her.  She 
gave  a  loud  scream,  and  started  toward  him. 
"I  don't  think  she  will  stay  with  you,"  he 
said. 

"Oh,  yes,  she  will,"  I  said,  and  then  I  be- 
gan in  childish  language  to  talk  to  her.  Our 
white  faces  were  new  to  her,  and  she  really 
was  afraid.  We  bade  the  father  be  seated, 
and  wait  there  a  moment.  We  wanted  this 
child  to  train  for  Christ,  and  meant  to  get 


Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum  291 

her,  as  she  was  to  be  given  away.  We  ran 
into  the  house  and  brought  out  a  big  lump 
of  gool,  or  raw  sugar. 

The  famished  little  waif  grasped  it  with 
delight,  and  then  we  asked  her  to  come  with 
us  for  more.  We  told  her  we  had  clean 
clothes,  and  plenty  of  food  for  her,  too.  She 
looked  up  at  us  with  a  pleased  glance,  as 
much  as  to  say  she  almost  believed  what  we 
said;  and  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  she 
gave  me  her  hand,  and  came  into  the  house 
with  me.  Her  sad-hearted  parent  never  said 
good-by,  but  slowly  walked  away  in  silence. 
He  glanced  back  several  times  to  get  a  last 
look  at  his  child,  and  thus  the  tie  was  broken. 
He  had  given  away  his  all. 

While  we  sympathized  with  him,  we  were 
glad  of  our  treasure.  She  came  from  a  good 
class  of  people,  and  her  father  had  given  her 
to  us  of  his  own  free  choice.  She  wanted  to 
come,  after  she  had  received  the  sugar  plum, 
with  a  promise  of  more.  The  Hindus  did 
not  want  her;  they  would  not  spend  a  penny 
on  thousands  of  such.  Little  girls  were  too 
plentiful  in  a  nation  of  three  hundred  mil- 
lions; they  had  many  more  than  they  knew 
what  to  do  with.  But  we  saw  grand  possi- 
bilities for  that  young  life  trained  in  the  true 


292  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

faith,  and  educated  in  our  mission  schools, 
and  were  glad  to  get  her.  We  knew  that 
when  some  of  the  good  people  of  America 
heard  of  her  and  the  other  little  waifs  in  our 
care,  they  would  gladly  sacrifice  for  their 
support;  so  in  faith  we  welcomed  this  child 
and  many  others  to  our  family  circle  at  the 
mission  in  those  days. 

The  child  was  now  inside  our  big  stone 
house,  sucking  away  at  another  piece  of 
sugar.  We  feared  she  might  rim  out,  and 
scream  for  her  father;  so  we  fed  her  well. 
We  asked  her  name;  and  she  said,  "Sukie." 
This  we  changed  a  bit,  and  called  her  Susie. 

She  was  dirty  and  uncouth,  and  one  could 
count  all  her  ribs.  We  called  a  native  woman 
to  clean  her  up,  first  removing  several  brass 
rings  from  her  ears,  and  one  from  her  nose. 
Then  she  was  taken  to  the  bathroom,  and 
given  a  "proper"  wash  in  soapsuds.  Her 
hair  had  never  been  combed;  and  although 
it  was  nearly  black  next  to  the  head,  the  ends 
were  sunburned  to  a  reddish  brown.  When 
the  attendants  tried  to  comb  her  hair,  they 
found  a  large  sore  spot  on  the  back  of  her 
head,  covered  with  a  knotty,  matted  mass 
of  hair.  In  the  sore  were  numbers  of  vermin 
eating  their  way  into  the  flesh,  and  making 


Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum  293 

it  raw  and  painful.  Again  we  thanked  God 
that  Susie  had  fallen  into  our  hands.  Her 
hair  was  all  cut  off,  and  her  head  properly 
cleaned,  and  saturated  with  coconut  oil. 
After  her  warm  bath,  her  whole  body  was 
also  well  rubbed  with  oil. 

Imagine  how  Susie  must  have  felt  to  have 
a  clean  white  sardie,  or  dress,  at  four  years 
of  age,  after  running  nude  all  her  lifetime. 
A  smile  came  over  her  thin  little  features  — 
and  that  smile  was  reward  enough  for  all 
our  efforts  to  clean  her  up.  A  brown  goat's 
hair  blanket  was  given  her,  and  a  tin  cup  and 
plate.  At  night  she  slept  on  the  floor  among 
a  lot  of  other  little  girls  who  had  been  taken 
in  under  similar  conditions.  A  natural  sym- 
pathy existed  between  them,  and  they  re- 
spected and  loved  their  white  foster  parents. 

For  some  time,  Susie  was  weak  and  deli- 
cate; but  good,  warm  buffaloes'  milk,  and 
plenty  of  plain  corn  bread,  soon  made  a 
change  in  the  thin  little  frame,  and  she  be- 
came well  and  plump. 

As  soon  as  she  was  strong  enough,  we  as- 
signed her  to  a  class  in  school.  At  first,  one 
of  her  eyes  was  quite  weak;  but  with  care  and 
treatment,  she  came  through  all  right.  Susie 
was  fond  of  books,  and  soon  learned  to  read 


294  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

very  well.  It  was  almost  amusing  to  see 
her  seated  on  the  hard  stone  floor,  her  legs 
stretched  out  straight,  and  a  Bible  on  her 
knees  —  such  a  little  girl,  and  such  a  big 
book.  In  a  few  months  after  she  entered  the 
mission  school,  you  would  scarcely  have  recog- 
nized her  as  the  same  child.  Instead  of  look- 
ing older,  she  looked  younger,  only  plump 
and  fat. 

THE  BLESSED  FRUIT  OF  LABOR 

It  was  not  long  till  Susie  learned  the  plan 
of  salvation,  and  was  able  to  answer  any 
simple  question  put  to  her  about  the  true 
religion.  Soon  she  began  to  pray,  like  our 
other  Christian  girls;  for  our  mission  girls 
are  taught  to  pray  even  before  they  are  con- 
verted. We  think  it  a  good  plan  for  them 
to  start  on  the  right  road  at  once. 

Susie  confessed  her  sins,  and  gave  her 
heart  to  Jesus;  and  her  prayers  and  testi- 
monies helped  make  oiu'  meetings  what  they 
were.  She  always  wore  a  smile,  and  every 
one  loved  her.  When  others  gave  in  their 
names  as  candidates  for  baptism,  Susie  gave 
in  hers  also,  and  was  baptized.  Her  faith 
grew  fast,  and  she  had  not  been  with  us 
long  until  everybody  knew  where  she  stood. 


Susie  and  the  Sugar  Plum  295 

Several  years  have  rolled  by  since  then, 
and  Susie  is  a  fine,  healthy,  Christian  young 
woman.  She  lives  in  a  mission  school  in 
Central  India,  and  is  doing  good  work.  She 
has  learned  to  grind  flour  in  the  stone  mill, 
cook,  wash,  and  sew.  What  a  change  in  the 
life  of  that  heathen  child!  All  her  life,  her 
heart  will  swell  with  thanksgiving  for  what 
God  and  His  servants  have  done  for  her. 
It  would  do  your  heart  good  to  hear  her 
pray,  speak,  and  sing  in  meeting.  She  is 
one  of  our  brightest  daughters  in  the  native 
church  in  India. 

From  the  moment  we  gave  her  the  lump 
of  sugar,  Susie  has  been  detached  from  all 
her  past,  and  attached  to  the  mission.  Her 
old  father  may  have  died  in  the  famine  from 
which  she  was  rescued.  He  has  never  been 
to  see  her;  and  so  far  as  we  know,  she  has 
never  shed  a  tear  for  him  or  her  people.  The 
years  she  has  spent  in  school  have  fitted  her 
for  a  life  of  usefulness  and  service  for  Christ. 
While  these  lines  are  being  penned,  this 
young  woman  is  better  fitting  herself  for 
the   Lord's   work   among   her   native   sisters. 

Let  any  who  may  read  these  lines,  always 
remember  that  offerings  contributed  for  such 
work  bring  forth  compound  interest. 


C.  V.  Kalle  and  Family,  One  of  Our  Grown-up  Boys 
Who  Is  Now  Compounder  and  Preacher 


(296) 


CHAPTER     XX 


Answered  Prayer 

OD  has  given  some  wonderfully  reas- 
suring answers  to  the  prayers  of  His 
servants  in  foreign  mission  fields.  To 
them  He  has  given  a  special  call  to 
do  a  special  work,  and  doubtless 
He  delights  to  encourage  their  hearts  and 
strengthen    His    cause    intrusted    to    them. 

We  have  already  seen  how  Kasho,  a  young 
native  convert,  spent  three  months  in  earnest 
praj^er  to  the  end  that  missionaries  might  be 
sent  to  a  certain  town.  The  Lord  answered 
his  prayer,  sent  the  men,  and  established  His 
own  work  in  that  place.  Souls  have  been 
saved  there,  and  the  work  of  the  Lord  still 
moves  on.  While  living  at  that  very  sta- 
tion, and  laboring  daily  among  the  people,  I 
was  constantly  impressed  to  undertake  a  cer- 
tain line  of  mission  work.  I  consulted  several 
other  workers  upon  the  matter,  but  did  not 
secure  their  cooperation  or  approval.  Feel- 
ing that  "in  the  multitude  of  counselors  there 
is  safetj^"  and  that  doubtless  my  own  desire 
actuated  me  more  than  the  desire  of  the  Lord, 
I  decided  that  perhaps  it  was  best  to  drop 

(297) 


298  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

the  matter  altogether.  But  I  could  not  drop 
it;  for  the  plan  was  always  in  my  mind,  and 
day  by  day  the  need  for  that  special  work 
seemed  greater.  Still  everything  in  the  world 
seemed  against  it.  Would  it  not  take  money? 
And  I  did  not  possess  a  cent  for  such  a 
purpose. 

In  order  to  test  the  matter,  I  wrote  out  in 
detail  the  plan  with  which  I  had  been  im- 
pressed, and  literally  obeyed  the  command 
of  the  Lord,  "Enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when 
thou  hast  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father 
which  is  in  secret;"  trusting  the  promise, 
"And  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall 
reward  thee  openly."  Placing  on  a  chair  the 
paper  on  which  the  plan  was  written,  I  made 
the  special  request:  "O  Lord,  if  this  is  Thy 
plan,  and  if  we  should  take  up  this  special 
work,  then  be  pleased  to  prove  it  to  us  by 
sending  the  needed  money,  even  if  it  takes 
three  months.  If  the  money  never  comes, 
then  we  shall  be  sure  Thou  dost  not  require 
it  of  us." 

There  I  left  the  whole  matter,  my  heart 
at  rest  in  the  peace  of  faith,  content  if  the 
answer  came  as  a  refusal,  and  went  back  to 
my  daily  tasks  without  a  concern  as  to  the 
matter.    About  three  days  after  that,  a  cable- 


Answered  Prayer 


209 


gram  came,   and  with  it  an  order  for  over 
one  thousand  rupees,  or  about  $325. 

I  was  indeed  thankful  that  this  special  re- 
quest had  been  answered  in  a  special  way, 
and  that  God  had  thus  proved  His  willing- 
ness to  do  "exceeding  abundantly  above  all 
that  we  ask  or  think."  The  way  of  duty  now 
seemed  clear,  and  I  undertook  the  work  with- 
out a  doubt  or  a  fear.  And  whatever  of 
difficulty  was  met  in  its  prosecution,  I  was 
always  able  to  look  up,  and  say,  "Lord, 
Thou  didst  give  us  this  duty,  the  plan,  the 


On  the  Way  to  the  Dispensary 

{Carried  in  this  manner  thirteen  miles,  went 
away  smiling.) 


300  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

call,  and  the  means."  The  cablegram  was 
evidently  sent  about  the  time  we  were  plead- 
ing with  the  Lord  for  clearer  light  and  guid- 
ance. "Before  they  call,  I  will  answer;  and 
while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear." 

BY  PRAYER  AND  FASTING 

At  another  time,  one  of  our  native  Chris- 
tian families  had  some  personal  difHculty  in 
their  home,  resulting  in  gossip,  and  finally  in 
a  separation.  This  was  sad  indeed,  and  likely 
to  hinder  greatly  a  revival  that  had  just 
begun  among  us.  We  knew  that  the  heathen 
would  rejoice,  and  would  ridicule  this  family 
and  the  whole  Christian  community,  and  say 
that  we  were  no  better  than  they,  and  that 
it  would  be  better  not  to  become  Christians. 
Heathen  men  beat  their  wives  and  keep  them 
shut  up,  but  Christian  men  may  not  lawfully 
beat  their  wives. 

I  endeavored  to  settle  the  trouble  by  ad- 
vising the  distracted  persons,  but  without 
success;  for  they  both  had  grievances,  and 
both  preferred  separation  to  constant  trouble. 
We  knew  that  this  state  of  things  must  not 
continue,  or  the  whole  mission  would  suffer, 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  would  be  grieved 
away  from  our  work.     The  more  we  prayed, 


Answered  Prayer  301 

the  more  this  scripture  suggested  itself  to  us: 
"This  kind  goeth  not  out  but  by  prayer  and 
fasting."  We  had  never  met  just  "this 
kind"  before;  but  our  hearts  responded  to  the 
challenge,  and  if  it  meant  fasting  and  prayer, 
we  were  ready  for  it.  So  we  set  to  work  on 
our  knees  to  straighten  out  the  trouble  that 
threatened  our  church,  realizing  that  the 
forces  of  evil  were  strong  against  us,  and 
that  we  were  indeed  in  a  battle. 

But  the  Lord  gave  us  His  spirit  of  prayer, 
and  we  were  assured  we  should  prevail.  For 
a  week,  we  ate  only  enough  to  keep  our 
strength  for  the  work;  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  feeling  that  "the  iron  was  hot,"  so 
to  speak,  and  that  we  must  "strike,"  we 
quietly  approached  the  contending  parties, 
and  in  a  few  cautious  words  showed  them  that 
they  were  both  wrong,  and  that  they  should 
beg  each  other's  pardon  and  make  their 
hearts  right  before  God.  Then  we  laid  down 
the  burden;  for  we  had  pleaded  with  the 
Lord,  and  were  sure  He  was  even  more  in- 
terested in  the  outcome  than  we.  At  once, 
without  argument,  they  saw  their  wrong, 
and,  after  prayer,  agreed  to  consent  to  live 
together  as  Christians.  The  wife  made  a 
good  supper,  the  father  clasped  his  little  boy 


302  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

in  his  arms  with  all  the  fondness  of  days 
gone  by,  and  so  far  as  we  know,  that  family 
have  lived  together  united  and  happy  ever 
since.     God  answers  prayer. 

PRAYER  BROUGHT  VICTORY 

A  native  stonemason  had  been  engaged  to 
do  a  certain  piece  of  work  for  the  mission; 
but  before  he  completed  it,  the  monsoon 
rains  came,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
we  were  aroused  by  an  awful  crash.  At 
once  we  thought  of  the  wall  of  the  new 
building;  but  the  night  was  dark  and  wild, 
and  we  did  not  go  to  see.  In  the  morning, 
we  found  that  the  wall  of  the  building  in 
process  of  construction  had  fallen  flat  to 
the  ground. 

Then  we  called  the  mason,  and  questioned 
him  about  his  work.  He  agreed  to  complete 
the  job,  and  leave  it  in  good  condition,  but 
asked  for  an  advance  of  money.  Very  re- 
luctantly we  complied.  Again,  in  the  next 
heavy  shower,  his  work  fell.  Now  we  tested 
his  materials,  and  found  that  he  had  mixed 
white  clay  with  the  lime.  Of  course,  the  ad- 
hesive quality  of  clay  was  not  equal  to  that 
of  lime,  so  the  whole  thing  gave  way  when 
it  was  tested  by  rain. 


Answered  Prayer  303 

Again  we  called  the  mason,  and  after  re- 
monstrating with  him,  refused  to  let  him  go 
on  with  the  work  or  to  pay  him.  He  was 
angry,  for  he  had  been  detected  in  his  wrong- 
doing. Had  the  rain  not  fallen  just  then,  we 
might  not  have  discerned  the  defective  work 
until  the  roof  of  the  building  had  been  con- 
structed, and  an  even  greater  loss  sustained. 

Soon  a  defiant  letter  came  from  the  mason. 
He  tried  to  intimidate  us  by  saying  that  if 
the  money  he  claimed  was  not  immediately 
forthcoming,  he  would  prosecute  us.  What 
money  we  had  all  belonged  to  the  Lord,  and 
we  were  but  His  stewards.  It  was  not  worth 
while  to  deal  with  that  deceptive  mason;  so 
I  spread  the  matter  before  the  Lord,  and 
especially  asked  Him  to  block  every  plan  of 
the  enemy.  We  had  no  desire  to  parley  with 
him  either  in  court  or  out  of  it.  I  confess 
that  my  request  seemed  a  bold  one,  but  I 
knew  that  my  object  was  right.  That  season 
of  prayer  brought  the  desired  victory.  The 
mason  never  came  to  us,  nor  wrote  us  again, 
until  he  came  to  apologize  for  his  conduct, 
and  proved  his  sincerity  by  sending  us  a  tray 
full  of  delicious  fruit.  Thus  again  we  proved 
bending  the  knees  before  the  God  of  prayer 

20 


304  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

a  better  plan  than  trying  to  adjust  matters 
by  litigation. 

"Oh,  what  peace  we  often  forfeit, 
Oh,  what  needless  pain  we  bear. 
All  because  we  do  not  carry 
Everything  to  God  in  prayer!" 

THAT  WHICH  IS  LEAST 

The  mission  owned  a  large  herd  of  fine 
buffalo  cows,  which  supplied  our  mission 
school  with  fresh  milk  for  the  children,  and 
curds  for  the  older  ones.  A  fine  lot  of  butter 
was  also  turned  out  twice  a  week,  and  sold 
for  grain.  In  India,  the  cattle  must  be  con- 
stantly watched,  as  the  pasture  is  not  fenced 
or  hedged  in.  One  day  while  the  gowlie, 
or  herdsman,  was  taking  a  noonday  rest 
under  a  shade  tree,  our  cattle  wandered  off 
into  forbidden  pastures. 

The  native  sepoy,  or  police,  are  ever  on 
the  alert  for  stray  animals,  whose  depreda- 
tions are  among  the  most  common  annoy- 
ances in  a  land  where  fences  are  seldom 
erected;  so  when  our  cattle  were  discovered 
out  of  place,  they  were  driven  off  to  the 
pound,  and  it  would  cost  more  than  the 
month's  wages  of  the  herdsman  to  get  them 
out.  Just  as  we  were  about  to  begin  our 
regular  afternoon  service,  the  gowlie  came  in, 


Answered  Prayer  305 

greatly  excited,  to  tell  us  his  troubles.  We 
replied  that  he  was  responsible  for  the  care 
of  our  cattle  during  the  day,  and  for  their 
safe  arrival  at  night;  therefore  he  must  re- 
turn them  by  sundown. 

We  knew  he  had  no  money,  but  we  also 
knew  that  the  mission  could  not  afford  to 
pay  for  the  negligence  of  its  servants,  and  if 
we  excused  him,  we  should  have  no  end  of 
trouble  all  the  year.  A  congregation  were 
waiting  in  the  meetinghouse  for  service,  and 
the  gotvlie  waited  at  the  door,  not  satisfied 
with  my  reply.  He  wanted  me  to  pay  the 
fine  and  free  the  herd.  I  was  perplexed. 
The  cattle  must  be  cared  for  and  milked 
that  evening,  and  I  had  also  to  minister  to 
that  waiting  congregation. 

Deliberately  I  took  time  to  closet  myself 
in  prayer,  and  said,  "O  Lord,  if  Thou  canst 
afford  to  pay  for  all  these  cattle  now  in  the 
pound,  amen."  There  we  rested  the  matter, 
assured  that  all  would  be  well.  I  went  to 
the  meeting,  and  the  Lord  met  with  us  and 
blessed  us.  The  cattle  came  home  all  right, 
and  the  bill  had  been  paid.  The  gowlie  bor- 
rowed the  money  himself,  and  paid  for  them. 
But  even  in  this  little  matter,  I  learned  anew 
to  cast  all  my  care  upon  Him,  knowing  that 


306  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

"He  careth  for  us,"  and  that  in  moments  of 
trial  and  testing,  He  hears,  answers,  and  de- 
livers. 

Three  of  us  missionaries  agreed  to  buy,  on 
the  installment  plan,  a  certain  property  for 
the  Lord's  work;  and  as  rents  were  counted 
on  the  principal,  we  felt  quite  safe.  It  took 
three  years  to  pay  the  first  half  of  the  price 
asked  for  this  property;  and  at  the  end  of 
the  third  year,  the  man  who  sold  us  the  place 
demanded  the  second  half  of  the  money  within 
three  months'  time.  This  demand  seemed  un- 
reasonable; but  we  knew  that  if  he  chose,  he 
could  foreclose,  and  we  should  lose  all  we  had 
paid,    with    many    important    improvements. 

We  had  not  a  cent  of  mission  money  on 
hand;  but  we  began  to  pray,  believing  that 
God  would  direct  us,  and  were  impressed 
that  we  should  trust  Him,  and  not  reply  to 
the  letter  until  we  could  pay  the  last  farthing. 
We  felt  that  we  should  test  God  and  our- 
selves, and  follow  our  impressions  in  the  mat- 
ter, though  it  meant  that  we  must  raise  as 
much  in  three  months  as  we  had  previously 
raised  in  three  years.  Finally  we  argued  that 
it  was  not  for  us,  but  for  the  Lord  and  His 
cause;  and  if  He  could  meet  the  demand  in 
three  months.  He  could  meet  it  in  one.     So 


Answered  Prayer  307 

we  laid  the  matter  before  the  Lord,  and  left 
it  completely  in  His  hands. 

We  agreed  to  pray  daily  at  the  family 
altar  for  the  full  amount  in  a  month,  and 
not  a  day  passed  but  we  did  as  we  had 
agreed.  Then  to  help  answer  our  own 
prayers,  each  emptied  his  pocketbook  into  a 
small  box  to  start  the  fund.  All  together  we 
had  two  dollars  in  cash.  We  gladly  gave 
all  we  had,   and  trusted   God   for   the   rest. 

That  was  a  month  of  most  importunate 
prayer.  Nearly  every  day,  a  little  came  in, 
some  of  it  in  most  unexpected  ways  and 
from  unlooked-for  sources;  and  to  the  glory 
of  God,  at  the  end  of  one  month,  we  saw 
that  we  had  as  much  money  as  we  had  gained 
before  in  three  years.  Not  a  cent  had  been 
borrowed,  neither  had  we  written  to  our 
friends  for  money.  God,  who  knew  our  dire 
need,  and  saw  our  faith,  would  not  suffer  us 
to  be  defeated  when  it  was  for  His  glory  and 
the  upbuilding  of  His  work  that  our  request 
should  be  granted. 

At  the  end  of  the  month,  we  had  a  special 
thanksgiving  service  together.  Then  we 
wrote  to  our  creditor,  and  said,  "Please  do 
not  wait  three  months,  but  come  at  once  and 
get  the  full  amount  due  you  on  the  property." 


308  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

One  more  instance:  The  heathen  parents 
of  some  of  our  children  sent  for  their  little 
ones  through  the  court.  We  had  taken 
these  children  in  time  of  famine,  and  had 
cared  for  them  for  several  years,  and  it  was 
hard  indeed  to  think  of  parting  with  them. 
They  had  become  Christians,  and  their  rela- 
tives were  heathen.  For  them  to  quit  our 
school  after  the  training  we  had  given  them, 
and  return  to  heathen  homes  and  villages, 
would  be  detrimental  in  every  way,  and  our 
labor  would  be  practically  lost.  But  what 
could  we  do  ?  —  Nothing  but  pray  most 
earnestly.  We  had  a  long  and  tedious 
journey  to  make  with  these  children  to  at- 
tend court, —  almost  eighty  miles  in  spring- 
less  bullock  carts. 

However,  we  made  the  trip;  and  on  the 
day  appointed,  and  at  the  proper  hour,  we 
were  at  the  court  with  our  little  charges. 
Not  one  of  them  wanted  to  leave  the  mission 
school;  and  they,  as  well  as  we,  had  prayed 
most  earnestly.  When  we  came  before  the 
English  judge  in  court,  he  called  for  the 
parents  who  claimed  the  children.  To  the 
surprise  of  all,  not  one  of  them  was  present  to 
press  his  claim.  The  judge  very  kindly  ad- 
vised us  to  take  the  children  home  with  us. 


Ansmered  Prayer  309 

and  not  give  them  up  without  written  orders 
from  the  government.  This  was  another 
special  answer  to  prayer. 

jNIany  other  instances  might  be  cited  where 
in  sickness  and  danger  the  Lord  looked  upon 
us  in  mercy,  and  delivered  us  in  answer  to 
prayer. 

"They  who  trust  Him  wholly, 
Find   Him  wholly  true." 


(310) 


CHAPTER     XXI 


What  It  Means  to  Give  India 
the  Gospel 

T  is  not  enough  to  send  a  few  loyal 
representatives  of  the  message  among 
so  vast  a  population  as  that  of  India; 
neither  is  it  sufficient  to  give  out  a 
few  books  and  tracts,  and  then  look 
for  a  great  harvest  of  souls.  The  field  is 
immense,  the  work  great,  and  time  is  an 
element  of  success  in  all  large  undertakings. 
While  it  is  true  that  many  of  the  heathen 
in  India  desire  help,  and  are  ready  to  be 
taught,  there  are  many  more  who  are  quite 
satisfied  with  their  present  condition,  and  are 
always  ready  to  cry  out,  like  some  of  old: 
"What  have  we  to  do  with  Thee,  Jesus,  Thou 
Son  of  God?  art  Thou  come  hither  to  tor- 
ment us  before  the  time?" 

Many  years  ago  the  missionary  did  not 
have  free  access  to  the  people  in  India.  Not 
so  to-day.  Since  the  British  government 
practically  controls  the  whole  of  India,  every 
door  is  open  wide  for  the  spread  of  Bible 
truth.  Thank  God  for  this.  But  there  are 
still   difficulties   to   be   met,   and   these   must 

(311) 


312  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

not  and  cannot  be  overlooked.  As  we  face 
them,  our  hearts  shoukl  be  drawn  out  in 
2)rayer  that  God  will  go  before  His  messen- 
gers, and  prepare  the  w^ay  before  them.  Has 
He  not  said,  "I  will  go  before  thee"? 

CASTES 

Probabl}''  the  first  and  greatest  hindrance 
to  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  India  to-day 
is  the  old  and  iron-bound  caste  system.  The 
word  "caste"  is  used  in  such  an  indiscriminate 
manner  in  America  that  it  loses  its  true 
meaning;  whereas  in  India  it  is  always  used 
in  the  exclusive  sense,  having  a  specific  and 
j)ositive  force.  ISFo  other  people  on  the  face 
of  the  earth  are  so  bound  about  by  caste 
rides  and  prejudices  as  the  benighted  peoples 
of  India,  particularly  the  Hindus.  In  Eu- 
rope, America,  and  some  other  lands,  society 
is  more  or  less  divided  into  clans  and  cliques, 
according  to  education,  wealth,  official  posi- 
tion, color,  language,  and  attainments;  but 
these  are  not  the  constituent  elements  of  that 
seemingly  impregnable  system  called  zarth, 
or  caste,  in  Hindustan. 

In  our  land,  an  individual  belonging  to  a 
very  ordinary  stratum  of  society  to-day,  may 
to-morrow,    })y    his    personal    endeavors    and 


What  It  Means  313 

strength  of  character,  be  received  into  the 
society  of  those  he  once  did  not,  and  perhaps 
could  not,  associate  with.  Not  so  in  India. 
Caste  in  this  pitiful  land  is  altogether  a  ques- 
tion of  birth,  and  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  wealth,  education,  position,  or  per- 
sonal character.  No  w^onder  that  poor  per- 
sons in  India  are  fatalists,  and  believe  in 
Nasheeh,  or  fate.  JNIany  of  them  desire  to 
rise;  but  it  is  their  "luck,"  as  they  say,  to  be 
born  in  that  lower  scale  of  human  society, 
from  which,  they  are  taught,  there  is  no 
escape. 

It  is  true  that  the  best  classes  of  society 
are  usually  found  among  the  upper  castes; 
but  if  a  man  is  born  a  fool  in  a  high-caste 
family,  he  is  more  honorable  than  a  wise  man, 
no  matter  how  great  his  attainments,  in  a 
low-caste  family.  One  frequently  sees  beg- 
gars who  are  high-caste  people  and  honored 
by  all,  and  rich  low-caste  men  who  are  dis- 
honored by  all. 

There  are  practically  four  great  castes  in 
India:  first,  the  sacred  Brahman,  includ- 
ing the  priests,  or  Brahmans,  who  are  also 
the  philosophers  and  men  of  letters;  second, 
the  military  or  protecting  class,  commonly 
called    the    Kshatriya,    or    protectors    from 


314  F?'uit  from  the  Jungle 

evil;  third,  Vaisya,  which  includes  merchants, 
tradesmen,  husbandmen,  etc.,  who  are  con- 
sidered the  nourishers  of  the  state;  fourth, 
the  Sudra,  who,  proceeding  from  the  feet  of 
Brahma,  are  servants  to  the  higher  orders, 
mechanics,  etc.  These  four  castes  are  said 
to  have  sprung  from  the  head,  heart,  thighs, 
and  feet  of  Brahma.  Besides  these  orders, 
which  are  divided  into  families  under  a  great 
variety  of  rules,  there  are  a  number  of  mixed 
castes,  occasioned  by  mixed  marriages;  and 
lastly,  the  outcastes,  who  are  held  in  utter 
detestation  by  all. 

Hindus  sometimes  say  there  are  twelve  and 
one  half  castes,  and  each  one  of  these  twelve 
and  one  half  have  twelve  and  one  half  castes 
more;  and  so  it  goes,  like  an  endless  chain, 
until  there  are  actually  hundreds  of  castes  in 
India,  and  scarcely  anybody  knows  where 
the  system  ends. 

BONDAGE   or   CASTE 

The  Brahman  is  high  and  lifted  up  in  his 
pride,  conceit,  and  self-esteem.  He  is  a 
god  to  all  beneath  him;  and  most  pitiful  of 
all,  the  man  of  a  lower  caste,  as  well  as  the 
high-caste  man  himself,  believes  this  to  be 
actually  so.     The  abuse  to  which  this  spirit 


(315) 


316  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

of  self-esteem  is  carried  is  painful  in  the 
extreme.  For  instance,  the  high-caste  man 
is  very  particular  to  take  his  daily  bath,  and 
repeats  his  prayers  all  the  while  he  is  bath- 
ing. This  over,  he  at  once  hobbles  on  his 
wooden  sandals  to  his  house  for  his  morning 
meal.  If  perchance  the  shadow  of  a  low- 
caste  man  should  fall  upon  the  high-caste 
man,  he  must  take  a  full  bath  all  over  again 
before  he  eats,  because  that  shadow  has 
defiled  him.  From  this,  one  can  readily  see 
with  what  contempt  the  high-caste  man  looks 
upon  one  of  an  inferior  caste.  A  low-caste 
man  must  never  go  upon  the  housetop  of  a 
high-caste  man  until  the  people  have  vacated 
the  house.  Thus  the  people  of  India  are  ever 
in  absolute  bondage  to  thousands  of  customs 
and  rules.  Nothing  but  the  grace  of  God  in 
their  hearts  will  ever  change  these  conditions. 
One  day  a  native  Christian  accidentally 
touched  a  yoke  of  oxen  pulling  a  cart  con- 
taining a  barrel  of  water.  The  driver,  a 
high-caste  man,  became  enraged,  beat  the 
Christian,  and  according  to  caste  rules,  had 
to  empt}^  all  that  water  out  upon  the  ground. 
Even  the  missionary  must  use  great  wisdom 
and  precaution  in  his  associations  with  the 
natives,    not    to    cause    ill    feeling,    and    thus 


What  It  Means  317 

hinder  the  work  of  the  Lord.  Sometmies 
indiscretion  has  caused  serious  trouble. 

How  different  is  all  this  from  the  spirit 
of  our  JNIaster,  who  said,  "One  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren." 
"By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are 
My  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  an- 
other." Instead  of  being  a  sign  of  love, 
which  unites,  the  sign  of  Hinduism  is  caste, 
which  divides.  Until  this  difficulty  is  over- 
come, little  progress  can  be  made.  I  regret 
to  say  that  some  have  made  a  compromise  by 
tolerating  caste  in  so-called  Christian  mis- 
sions of  India.  In  such  circles,  the  Hindu 
has  kept  his  old  creed,  simply  adopting  a 
new  name. 

The  education  of  the  higher  and  the  lower 
castes  in  the  same  lines  of  thought  has  a  great 
tendency  to  equalize  the  people.  The  medi- 
cal missionary  plays  an  active  part  in  the 
breaking  down  of  caste  prejudices.  When  a 
high-caste  man  in  great  pain  presents  him- 
self at  the  medical  missionary  dispensary  for 
treatment,  it  frequently  happens  that  the 
nurse  or  assistant  who  waits  upon  him  is  a 
converted  low-caste  man.  Thus  little  by 
little,  old-time  prejudice  vanishes,  and  the 
way  is  opened  for  the  gospel. 


318  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

For  the  purpose  of  submitting  their  rep- 
resentation to  the  secretary  of  state  for  In- 
dia through  the  proper  authorities,  a  repre- 
sentative meeting  of  the  depressed  classes  of 
the  Dharwar  District  was  convened  in  the 
Bengeri  Theater,  Hubli,  under  the  president- 
ship of  Mr.  R.  B.  Rodd,  the  first  unofficial 
president  of  the  District  Board  of  Dharwar. 
The  chairman  said  the  chief  reason  for  con- 
vening the  meeting  was  to  give  the  depressed 
classes  an  opportunity  of  expressing  their 
views  on  the  present  political  situation  and  of 
bringing  to  the  notice  of  government  the 
several  disabilities  under  which  they  were  ren- 
dering honest  services  to  the  government  and 
the  country  at  large.  He  earnestly  solicited 
the  high  castes,  even  among  the  depressed 
classes,  to  give  a  helping  hand  to  their  low- 
caste  brethren. 

The  meeting  considered  a  resolution,  which 
read:  "This  meeting  prays  the  government  of 
India  to  pass  an  enactment  that  no  caste  dis- 
tinctions should  be  observed  in  government 
offices  and  public  institutions,  as  the  same 
are  against  the  declared  British  policy  of 
equality  and  justice." 

The  resolution  was  proposed  by  Mr.  Sa- 
dashiv  Malkajee,  Dhar  railway  guard,  who 


What  It  Means  819 

said  the  practice  of  regarding  the  depressed 
classes  as  untouchables  had  crippled  their 
growth  as  a  society,  was  detrimental  to  the 
interests  of  the  nation,  and  was  a  great 
stumblingblock  in  their  elevation.  He  was  at 
the  same  time  glad  to  acknowledge  that  some 
sympathetic  officials  were  helping  them  a 
good  deal,  but  they  were  only  a  minority  as 
compared  with  the  remaining  number  of 
unsympathetic  persons,  who  went  on  treating 
them  as  untouchables.  Mr.  Gopal  Bhivajee 
Pal,  a  mahar  contractor  of  Hubli,  seconded 
the  resolution,  which  was  passed. 

It  was  also  resolved  "that  this  meeting  begs 
government  to  reserve  sufficient  number  of 
posts,  in  the  government  services,  for  mem- 
bers of  the  depressed  classes  according  to 
their  qualifications,  as  that  privilege  is  at 
present  practically  denied  to  them  notwith- 
standing that  they  have  a  population  of  five 
crores  and  over,  which  is  about  fifteen  per 
cent  of  the  whole  population  of  India." 

"That  this  meeting  solicits  government  to 
create  special  electorates  or  introduce  a  sys- 
tem of  special  nominations  for  the  depressed 
classes  to  enable  them  to  send  their  repre- 
sentatives to  public  bodies,  viz.,  village  pan- 
chayats,  town  municipalities.  Taluk  and  Dis- 

21 


320  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

trict  Lotal  Boards,  and  the  Provincial  and 
Imperial  Councils,  if  they  are  fitted  by  edu- 
cation and  other  qualifications;  and  this  meet- 
ing further  assures  government  that  a  num- 
ber of  persons  able  to  represent  the  depressed 
classes,  can  be  found  among  them  even 
to-day." 

FALSE  RELIGIONS 

Perhaps  the  next  greatest  barrier  to  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  is  the  system  of  false  re- 
ligions extant  in  India.  We  find  not  only- 
the  religion  of  the  Hindus,  with  its  thirty- 
three  million  gods,  teaching  the  transmigra- 
tion of  souls  through  eighty-five  thousand 
births  for  the  elimination  of  sin  from  the 
soul  of  man,  but  also  the  faith  of  Islam.  The 
Hindus  are  largely  vegetarians,  and  hold  all 
life  as  sacred,  even  the  life  of  an  egg,  Not 
so  with  the  Mohammedan,  who  even  kills 
and  eats  the  sacred  cow.  While  both  these 
false  systems  cater  to  all  that  is  low  and 
degraded  in  the  unregenerate  human  heart, 
they  live  and  thrive  side  by  side.  The  Hindu 
declares  that  all  roads  lead  to  the  celestial 
city,  and  the  Christian  religion  is  therefore 
all  right  for  the  Christian,  but  that  his  own 
will  lead  to  the  same  end.    The  Mohammedan 


What  It  Means  321 

says  that  "God  is  God,  and  Mohammed  is 
His  prophet;"  therefore  all  should  become 
Mohammedans. 

Besides  these  already  mentioned,  we  have 
Zoroastrianism,  or  the  religion  of  the  fire 
worshiper.  The  Parsi  belongs  to  this  class. 
His  religion  consists  in  saying  kind  words, 
thinking  kind  thoughts,  and  doing  kind  deeds. 
He  worships  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars, 
fire,  air,  and  water. 

Again,  thousands  of  scattered  Jews  are 
to  be  found  in  India.  Having  lost  sight 
of  Jehovah,  they  have  copied  many  customs 
from  the  Hindus,  but  still  call  themselves 
"Yehudyloke." 

The  Eurasians,  whose  fathers  were  white 
men  and  whose  mothers  were  natives,  usually 
speak  English,  and  follow  English  customs. 
They  form  a  class  by  themselves,  and  are 
either  Protestants  or  Catholics. 

Many  other  classes  might  be  mentioned, 
but  enough  has  been  said  to  show  the  motley 
mixture  of  religious  beliefs  with  which  the 
missionary  must  battle  in  the  spread  of 
Bible  truth. 

In  facing  a  nation  of  three  hundred  and 
fifteen  millions,  there  is  no  hard  and  fast  rule 
of  attack.    One  must  look  to  God  continually. 


322  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

and  walk  softly,  feeling  his  way  along  a  new 
and  untried  path,  and  trusting  God's  Holy 
Spirit  to  guide  him. 

LANGUAGES 

The  multitude  of  languages  presents  an 
obstacle,  it  is  true,  but  not  so  serious  as  those 
already  mentioned.  To  learn  a  language,  or 
even  several  of  them,  is  not  an  impossible 
task.  By  consecration,  concentration,  and 
hard  study,  any  language  may  be  acquired 
so  accurately  that  the  gospel  may  be  clearly 
proclaimed  in  it.  Half  the  difficulty  with 
many  who  fail  lies  in  the  fact  that  their  de- 
sire to  preach  the  truth  to  the  heathen  is  not 
strong  enough.  "Out  of  the  abundance  of 
the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh;"  and  when 
the  heart  is  full  of  the  love  of  God  for  lost 
souls,  and  an  opportunity  is  afforded  of 
learning  a  way  to  present  that  love,  erelong 
love  will  find  words  to  express  itself  freely 
and  fully. 

In  America,  we  speak  of  easy  methods  and 
short  cuts  in  the  acquisition  of  certain  kinds 
of  knowledge;  but  there  is  no  easy  way  to 
learn  a  language  in  India.  In  fact,  as  one 
sits  beside  his  native  pundit,  or  munshi,  study- 
ing those  strange  sounds,  he  is  often  tempted 


(323) 


324  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

to  become  discouraged.  When  he  thinks  he 
is  making  rapid  progress  in  certain  lines,  he 
may  wake  up  to  the  fact  that  he  is  all  wrong, 
and  that  he  has  not  exactly  caught  the  proper 
accent  after  all.  A  certain  lady  wanted  to 
tell  the  servant  that  a  wildcat  was  in  the 
cupboard,  but  she  said  a  wild  sheep  was  in  the 
cupboard.  A  slight  mistake,  it  is  true;  but 
such  mistakes  are  often  embarrassing  in  the 
extreme,  and  a  great  hindrance  to  a  timid 
person. 

Native  methods  of  teaching  are  very  dif- 
ferent from  Western  methods,  and  the  stu- 
dent is  often  puzzled  to  understand  what  the 
teacher  is  attempting.  Sometimes  the  young 
missionary  finds  that  his  teacher  is  learning 
more  of  English  than  he  himself  is  learning 
of  the  Hindu  dialect.  Unexpected  difficulties 
arise;  and  after  a  while,  each  man  maps  out 
a  way  of  his  own,  and  pursuing  his  own 
method,  soon  gains  marvelously,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  teacher,  missionary,  and  friends. 
After  one  dialect  has  been  acquired,  the  ac- 
quiring of  another,  or  even  of  several,  is  not 
so  difficult,  if  health  and  strength  permit. 

But  until  one  dialect  is  thoroughly  ac- 
quired, no  definite  work  can  be  done  among 
natives.      Millions    of    them    never    learn    to 


What  It  Means  325 

speak  our  language;  and  if  they  ever  have 
Christ  presented  to  them,  we  must  speak  to 
them  in  their  own  tongue.  They  will  not 
burden  themselves  to  learn  our  language;  so 
the  responsibility,  after  all,  rests  upon  us 
who  go  to  them. 

By  many,  the  climate  of  India  is  con- 
sidered a  hindrance  to  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  But  God  made  the  people,  and  God 
made  the  climate;  and  the  same  God,  through 
His  Son,  said,  "Preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature."  So  when  God  calls  and  sends  to 
a  certain  field.  He  evidently  intends  to  stand 
by  the  one  sent,  until  he  faithfully  delivers 
the  message. 

During  the  last  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  missionaries  of  various  creeds  have 
done  much  to  solve  many  difficulties,  and  re- 
cruits ma)^  learn  valuable  lessons  from  former 
workers  and  those  now  in  the  field.  Many  of 
the  pioneers  in  this  difficult  field  "loved  not 
their  lives  unto  the  death."  To-day  India  is 
advancing.  British  rule  has  brought  many 
blessings  and  great  opportunities  for  the 
peoples  of  this  grand  and  beautiful  country. 

In  the  face  of  seeming  difficulties,  it  is 
always  best  to  lift  up  the  shield  of  faith  and 
proceed  for  victory.      Caste  may  appear  as 


326  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

immovable  as  the  mighty  rock  of  Gibraltar. 
However,  all  things  are  possible  with  God 
and  to  those  who  put  their  trust  in  Him. 
Many  have  been  won  from  all  castes,  and 
to-day  are  found  side  by  side  at  the  Lord's 
table.  The  old  sj^stems  of  false  philosophy 
are  crumbling;  and  where  they  have  failed 
to  bring  hope  and  comfort,  there  are  many 
ready  to  plant  the  cross  of  Jesus.  The  many 
languages  that  present  such  a  jargon  of  dis- 
cordant sounds  are  gradually  being  modified 
by  Christian  thought,  and  to-day  many 
tongues  are  learning  of  the  one  Jesus  Christ, 
and  say.  Hallelujah!    Amen! 

The  apostle  Paul  said,  "I  can  do  all  things 
through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me;"  so 
with  the  heaven-called  and  divinely  equipped 
missionary.  He  does  not  stop  at  caste 
systems,  false  religions,  strange  languages, 
trying  climates,  and  insurmountable  diffi- 
culties, but  he  sees  Jesus,  "the  Lamb  of  God, 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,"  and 
ever  hears  the  words  that  fell  from  His 
gracious  lips,  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the 
earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me."  To  Him, 
"faith  laughs  at  impossibilities,  and  cries.  It 
shall  be  done." 


Healing  in  the  Jungle 


BY  THE  EDITOR 

IJHE  Bombay  Presidency  in  western 
India  is  a  great  and  important  mis- 
sion field.  The  territory  fronts  on 
the  Arabian  Sea  one  thousand  miles, 
with  an  average  breadth  of  one  hun- 
dred miles.  The  population  numbers  twenty- 
seven  millions.  Two  principal  languages  are 
spoken  —  the  Marathi  by  eighteen  million, 
the  Gujarati  by  nine  million. 

The  largest  city,  and  one  of  the  finest  and 
cleanest,  in  India,  is  Bombay,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  one  million.  This  city  is  the  western 
gateway  to  India.  It  has  many  beautiful  and 
up-to-date  buildings,  broad,  clean  streets, 
well  kept  and  spacious  parks,  and  generally 
good  sanitation. 

Religiously,  the  people  in  this  field  embrace 
twenty-one  million  Hindus,  five  million  Mo- 
hammedans, 500,000  Jains,  150,000  Roman 
Catholics,  50,000  nominal  Protestants,  and 
80,000  Zoroastrians,  the  descendants  of  the 
old  fire-worshiping  Parsis  from  before  the 
days  of  Cj^rus  the  Great.  In  the  center  of  a 
beautiful  park  stand  their  "towers  of  silence," 

(327) 


328  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

on  the  tops  of  which  are  placed  their  dead  to 
be  devoured  by  vultures. 

Bombay  is  the  headquarters  of  oiu^  mission 
work,  where  there  is  a  growing  native  church. 

Forty  miles  northeast  of  Bombay  is  our 
Kalyan  mission,  in  the  midst  of  the  deepest, 
darkest  heathenism.  At  the  head  of  this  mis- 
sion —  indeed,  the  beginners  of  this  mission 
—  are  Pastor  and  Mrs.  M.  D.  Wood,  the 
latter  of  whom  is  a  physician.  This  is  the 
first  Christian  mission  established  in  Kalyan. 
These  devoted  workers,  with  their  helpers, 
are  taxed  to  the  utmost.  Dr.  Wood  conducts 
"one  of  the  largest  and  best  medical  dispen- 
saries in  all  our  mission  fields."  It  was 
opened  in  February,  1913.  Here  is  a  de- 
scription of  a  morning  at  the  mission,  hy 
Pastor  Arthur  G.  Daniells,  in  1915,  two 
years  after  its  establishment: 

"We  reached  Kalyan  early  enough  in  the 
morning  to  see  the  w^ork  of  the  day  start. 
There  was  a  great  crowd  waiting  for  the 
doors  to  open.  Before  beginning  the  medical 
work  of  the  day,  the  missionaries  gathered 
in  the  large  waiting  room.  A  native  brother 
connected  with  the  mission  then  read  a  Scrip- 
ture lesson,  gave  them  a  twenty-minute  talk 
about    the    gospel,    and    offered    an    earnest 


(329) 


330  Fruit  from  the  Jungle 

prayer  for  them.  .  .  .  Then  the  dispensary 
work  began.  Between  fifty  and  seventy-five 
persons  received  attention  that  day.  Some 
were  disposed  of  in  a  few  minutes,  while 
others  were  in  a  serious  condition,  needing  the 
most  thorough,  skillful  treatment." 

A  record  is  kept  of  the  name,  age,  sex,  re- 
ligion, and  ailment  of  every  person  passing 
through  the  dispensary.  In  the  year  1914 
there  were  16,421  patients  treated,  and  978 
homes  visited.  These  patients  represented  85 
villages.  There  were  312  minor  surgical 
cases.  Diseases  range  from  leprosy  to  simple 
sore  throat.  In  connection  with  this  work 
were  given  312  gospel  talks,  11,820  pages  of 
literature  were  distributed,  $325  was  ex- 
pended, and  $482  received.  In  1915,  the 
treatments  increased  to  21,423. 

The  workers  also  carry  healing  and  bless- 
ing to  villages  far  and  near.  In  one  town 
sixty  miles  distant,  a  dispensary  is  conducted, 
the  railway  authorities  granting  Dr.  Wood  a 
free  pass  in  a  first-class  compartment,  in 
recognition  of  her  work. 

Pastor  Wood  conducts  two  schools,  with 
an  attendance  of  forty,  and  preaches  in 
Marathi  to  the  people  of  many  surrounding 
villages. 


Healing  in  the  Jungle  331 

Another  report  of  a  visit  to  Kalyan,  by 
Pastor  W.  T.  Knox,  in  1917,  indicates  com- 
mendable growth.  While  he  looked  on  the 
sick  who  came,  one  woman  totally  blind  was 
relieved  of  the  cataracts  that  had  robbed  her 
of  sight. 

Two  miles  from  the  dispensary  is  a  tract 
of  nine  acres  belonging  to  the  mission,  on 
which  good  buildings  have  been  erected. 
Here  Pastor  Wood  was  then  conducting  a 
school  of  about  thirty.  These  children  live 
within  the  compound,  and  are  housed,  fed, 
and  clothed  at  a  cost  of  about  five  rupees 
($1.60)  a  month  each,  and  are  given  what  is 
equivalent  to  about  four  grades  of  school 
work.  Those  who  give  promise  of  develop- 
ing into  workers  are  passed  on  to  the  ad- 
vanced school  at  Lucknow. 

Here  we  leave  them  sowing  beside  all 
waters,  seeing  some  of  that  seed  develop  and 
bear  fruit  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  re- 
joicing of  their  own  hearts.  Seed  in  some 
soils  takes  long  to  germinate  and  grow.  But 
this  is  left  to  God,  whose  word  will  not  re- 
turn void,  but  who  will  bring  some  fruitage 
from  the  jungle  sowing  in  His  own  good 
time,  that  both  sower  and  reaper  "may  re- 
joice together." 


For  the  Quiet  Hour 

IN  these  times  of  change  and  uncertainty,  such  de- 
votional and  consolatory  volumes  as  those  de- 
scribed below  are  eagerly  read  by  the  thinking  man 
or  woman.  They  bring  quietness  and  calmness,  rest- 
fulness  to  the  heart,  and  at  the  same  time  inspire  to 
higher  standards  of  living. 

Alone  with  God 

With  the  aid  of  many  inspii-ational  incidents,  the  author  em- 
phasizes the  importance  of  secret  prayer  and  communion  with 
God.  Written  in  such  a  manner  as  to  fire  one  with  a  determina- 
tion to  live  "the  life  that  counts."  Beautifully  printed  on  high 
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hut  60c.     In  Canada,  70c. 

Thoughts  from  the  Mount  of  Blessing 

Some  of  the  grandest  and  sweetest  thoughts  ever  expressed 
are  to  be  found  in  this  little  volume.  Every  one  of  its  217  pages 
is  filled  with  encouragement  and  help.  Chapter  titles:  "On  the 
Mountain  Side,"  "The  Lord's  Prayer,"  "The  Beatitudes,"  "The 
Spirituality  of  the  Law,"  "The  True  Motive  in  Service,"  "Not 
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Steps  to  Christ 

Its  worth  and  popularity  are  attested  by  the  fact  that  it  is  pub- 
lished in  twenty-three  languages.  Presents,  in  a  simple  and  at- 
tractive manner,  the  steps  by  which  the  sinner  may  find  Christ 
and  be  made  complete  in  Him.  Also  a  wealth  of  counsel  and  en- 
couragement for  those  who  have  been  long  in  the  way.  Beauti- 
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In  Touch  with  God 

Prayer  calms  the  mind,  quiets  the  fears,  subdues  the  passions, 
conquers  habits,  mollifies  feelings,  and  is  a  general  tonic  for 
health  and  happiness.  Did  you  ever  look  at  it  in  just  that  way? 
Of  course,  it  is  more  than  that,  as  is  brought  out  in  this  re- 
cently published  book  of  300  pages.  Filled  with  helpful  expe- 
riences of  the  author,  of  whom  it  has  been  said,  "The  man  who 
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Canada,    $1.10. 

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